Israel to close West Bank crossings on election day amid crackdown

Israel's military said it will close all West Bank land crossings on Tuesday, the day Israel holds its election, and bar Palestinian workers from entering Israeli settlements.

The announcement came as a crackdown in the occupied West Bank escalated after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint. The Israel Defense Forces said there would be a ban on entry and exit of Palestinian workers throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, including industrial zones, and that all land crossings would be closed on Tuesday. It added that most workers would also be barred from settlements from Sunday, except for industrial zones and a limited number of other areas.

Before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were permitted to enter Israel. Since then, only a small fraction have had their permits restored, according to the military.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major operation on Friday in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers by two Palestinian gunmen. Three other Israeli soldiers were injured, and the gunmen were killed. The Israeli military has been demolishing homes and businesses in Hebron, and hundreds of families have been displaced. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said about 2,000 residents had been displaced by the operation, which he said led to at least one whole street appearing to have been flattened, according to online footage. Even before the worker entry and exit bans announced by the IDF on Sunday, the military had cordoned off the city and heavily restricted the movement of its 200,000 residents.

It is common for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis in the West Bank, a practice Israeli rights groups have criticised as collective punishment.

Friday's shooting came during a tense time for the region, just days ahead of Israel's election taking place on Tuesday. In an interview with Israel's i24 television channel released on Saturday, Netanyahu threatened a very big surprise for the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the territory.

Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the operation was being driven by the elections and that Netanyahu and his ministers were attempting to secure the votes of the far right and the settlers.

On Saturday, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv for a large anti-government demonstration. The protest was organised by the October Council, a group founded by the families of victims and hostages taken by militants on 7 October 2023, to demand accountability for the failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack.

The October Council wrote on X ahead of the rally that the gathering would mark three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and establish a state commission of inquiry. The rally saw participation from leaders of the four main opposition parties, including Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief of staff who is neck and neck with Netanyahu.

Source: BBC World.