Hebron Displacement: Nearly 2,000 Palestinians Forced from Homes as Israeli Forces Seize Buildings

Nearly 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, have been displaced after Israeli forces took over residential buildings, according to reports. The move follows a gun attack on an Israeli military checkpoint on Friday that killed two soldiers, just days before Israel's election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose coalition is narrowly trailing in polls, visited the scene, framing the response as a security necessity. Critics call the displacement 'collective punishment,' arguing that families are being forced from their homes to serve political ends. The incident has thrust Hebron into the center of Israel's election campaign, with Netanyahu seeking to prove his security credentials. As voting approaches, the displacement raises urgent questions about the human cost of election-driven security policies and the future of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.