In brief
Israel will close all West Bank land crossings on Tuesday as the military escalates a crackdown after two soldiers were killed. The IDF has banned Palestinian workers from entering settlements, and heavy demolitions in Hebron have displaced about 2,000 residents. The move comes amid rising political pressure as Netanyahu's election campaign intensifies, sparking protests across Israeli cities.
All West Bank land crossings will be closed on Israel’s election day, the army said, adding that Palestinian workers would be barred from entering settlements. The move follows a spike in violence after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and sparked a hard‐line response from the IDF.
The embargo covers Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, shutting industrial zones and forcing a halt to the flow of tens of thousands of Palestinian labourers — about 100,000 people who travelled to Israel before October 7. Only a handful have now had their permits issued again.
Hebron has seen heavy military activity as Israeli forces demolish structures suspected of sheltering attackers. Defence Minister Israel Katz said roughly 2,000 residents had been uprooted, turning a whole street into rubble, a scene that has drawn criticism as collective punishment.
The crackdown overtook the political timeline: Netanyahu warned on television of a “very big surprise” for the Palestinian Authority, while opposition leaders gathered in Tel Aviv for protests and a rally that called for accountability after the October 7 attacks.
With the election looming, the government’s hard‑line stance appears aimed at consolidating far‑right and settler support, as critics fear the measures could deepen the divide in the region.
