Tel Aviv (Israel): The Israeli military carried out a large-scale operation across the occupied West Bank over the weekend, displacing hundreds of Palestinian families and imposing sweeping movement restrictions just days before Israel’s election on Tuesday.

The operation followed a gun attack in Hebron on Friday that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. The military said it had launched searches in areas where the suspected gunmen operated and warned residents of their neighbourhood to evacuate.

The timing adds to tensions ahead of an election widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and his government’s security policies after three years of war.
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Hundreds of families displaced as movement is restricted

The Israeli military said its forces operated in more than 400 locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians whom it said were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Hebron municipal officials said between 200 and 300 families had been displaced overnight from Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen’s neighbourhood, and four surrounding areas. Most moved to other parts of the city.

Road closures forced some residents to cross military gates on foot. People were seen passing sacks of flour and gas canisters through openings, while an elderly man pushed his wife in a wheelchair through a narrow passage. Another family attempted to reach medical appointments.

The military said most Palestinian workers holding permits would be barred from entering Israeli communities in the occupied West Bank for work on Sunday and Monday. Crossings into Israel were also set to remain closed until after Tuesday’s election.

After Friday’s attack, the military said it found weapons in the gunmen’s vehicle and believed they had been planning to target Israeli civilians before being stopped at a checkpoint. It said troops were conducting searches in the area and urged residents to leave Deir Bahha.
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Netanyahu vows forceful response

The attack prompted Netanyahu and three members of his right-wing government to visit the site on Friday and promise a forceful response.

Netanyahu said the government had warned of attempts by its enemies to target Israeli citizens and soldiers ahead of the election. He also vowed to act against the area where the suspected attackers operated.

The prime minister faces pressure to demonstrate a strong security response as voters prepare to decide on his leadership. The election is taking place amid continued conflict and political divisions over the government’s handling of the wars and its approach to Palestinian territories.

Violence continues in the occupied West Bank

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence. Six Israelis have been killed in attacks there this year, while 112 Palestinians, including the suspected gunmen, have been killed during the same period, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, based in Ramallah.

Around 30 lakh Palestinians and 5,40,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied during the 1967 Middle East war.

Hebron remains one of the territory’s most tense cities. It is the only place in the West Bank where Jewish settlers live in the heart of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection.

The operation and restrictions come as Israel prepares for a closely watched election, with security and Netanyahu’s record during years of war among the central issues facing voters.

(With AP inputs)