Israel announces the full closure of all West Bank land crossings for its October 27, 2026 general election, while barring Palestinian workers from settlements. The move follows an October 23 shooting near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces subsequently lock down Hebron and forcibly displace over 2,000 residents, prompting Palestinian leaders to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of enacting collective punishment to rally far-right voters.
Israel restricts Palestinian movement
- ▪The Israel Defense Forces announced the closure of all land crossings with the West Bank on Israel's general election day on October 27, 2026
- ▪Effective October 25, 2026, the Israeli military banned Palestinian workers from entering Israeli communities and settlements in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley
Fatal Hebron checkpoint attack
- ▪Two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others in an attack at a checkpoint near Hebron before Israeli forces killed both attackers
- ▪Hamas praised the October 23, 2026 checkpoint shooting near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers, though the group did not claim direct responsibility for the attack
Displacement and demolitions in Hebron
- ▪Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered the immediate demolition of a row of illegal Palestinian structures in Hebron following the October 23, 2026 shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers
- ▪Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that displaced Palestinian residents in Hebron will not be permitted to return until military forces resolve all Hamas issues in the city
- ▪Following the October 23, 2026 checkpoint shooting near Hebron, Israeli military forces forcibly displaced approximately 2,000 to 2,200 Palestinian residents from their homes in Hebron
Netanyahu's promised military operation
- ▪Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the military crackdown in Hebron following the October 23, 2026 shooting to secure far-right and settler votes ahead of Tuesday's election
- ▪Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged an Israeli military operation in the West Bank on a scale not seen since Israel first occupied the West Bank in 1967
Palestinian Authority response
- ▪The Palestinian Authority characterized Israeli military actions in Hebron—including home demolitions, forced evacuations, and city blockades—as collective punishment
- ▪The Palestinian Authority called for international pressure on Israel to protect Palestinian residents in Hebron affected by the Israeli military operation
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