TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli army continued a massive military operation Sunday in the Occupied West Bank that displaced hundreds of Palestinians and imposed significant movement restrictions in response to a gun attack last week that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
The operation, centered on the city of Hebron, site of Friday’s attack, took place as Israel enters the final phase a few days before tense electionswhich is widely seen as a referendum on the leadership of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security policies during the last three years of war.
Among the new measures, the army said that most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Sunday and Monday, and that crossing points into Israel will remain closed until after Israeli elections on Tuesday.
The army said it operated in more than 400 different locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians who it said were affiliated with the Hamas or Islamic Jihad militant groups. No militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Thousands of Palestinians displaced from Hebron
The Hebron Municipality said the operation resulted in the displacement of more than 2,600 people.
The army said troops were searching the area where the gunmen were operating and asked residents to evacuate Deir Bahha, the neighborhood where the suspected gunmen were located. After Friday’s attack, the Israeli military said it found weapons in the gunmen’s car and that they were likely planning to attack Israeli civilians before being arrested at the checkpoint where the shooting broke out.
All entrances and exits to the city remained closed, with the operation concentrated in Deir Bahha and another part of the city called Al-Jalda, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari.
“People cannot reach or enter the city, and they cannot leave it. The blockade has affected all aspects of life,” Al-Jabari said. He added that the blockade is forcing businesses to close their doors and has also resulted in the closure of a mosque.
“The army told us that this area would be closed for 12 days. Now they are talking about 12 days, but maybe they will leave the area after two or three days,” said Shadi al-Qawasmi, a Hebron resident who was displaced with his family. “It may be due to elections or some political issue. No one knows except God Almighty.”
The army declined to say how long the operation could last.
The operation forced some families to leave the city on foot. At some military gates, people pushed sacks of flour and gas canisters through the gates, while an elderly man pushed his wife in a wheelchair through an opening next to one of them. Another family tried to get through the gate to access medical appointments.
Netanyahu promises tough response as elections approach
Hebron municipal officials said families were displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods.
Six Israelis have been killed this year in attacks in the West Bank, which is experiencing a surge in violence. During the same period, 112 Palestinians were killed, including suspected gunmen, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The attack sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu visiting the site of the attack and pledging to respond forcefully. On Sunday, hundreds of mourners attended the funeral in Hod Hasharon of Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, one of the Israeli soldiers killed.
As elections approach, Netanyahu is under pressure to make a strong show of force against Palestinian attackers to boost his image among security-concerned Israelis.
About 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, occupied by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war. Hebron is one of the most tense cities and the only place where Jewish settlers live in the heart of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection. The international community overwhelmingly considers all Israeli settlements illegal.
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Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Hebron, West Bank, contributed to this report.
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