Palestinian families displaced as Israeli forces demolish Hebron homes

Fonte da imagem: AFP via Getty Images. Legenda da imagem: Mais de 200 famílias foram deslocadas, dizem autoridades palestinas.

• Image source, ReutersImage caption, Bulldozers began demolitions on Friday afternoon.
• Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Photos of one of the suspected gunmen in Friday's attack were shared by AFP news agency.
• Israeli forces begin demolishing Palestinian buildings in Hebron after two Israeli soldiers shot deadPublished1 day ago.

Fonte da imagem, Reuters. Legenda da imagem: Restos foram vistos ao redor do local do tiroteio de sexta-feira após demolições pelas forças israelenses.

The Israeli military has launched a sweeping crackdown in the occupied West Bank, demolishing homes and businesses in the city of Hebron and displacing hundreds of families, according to local officials.

Filmagens compartilhadas online mostraram a destruição causada por bulldozers israelenses, com pelo menos uma rua inteira parecendo ter sido nivelada. O exército também cercou a cidade, restringindo severamente a movimentação de seus 200.

The operation was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers by two Palestinian gunmen in an attack on a checkpoint.

Three other Israeli soldiers were injured, and the gunmen were also killed.

Netanyahu said on Friday that buildings around the site of the attack and the neighbourhoods that the two gunmen were from would be "destroyed.

O Ministro da Defesa Israelita Israel Katz disse que cerca de 2. 000 residentes foram deslocados pela operação, que se concentrou nos bairros Ein Deir Baha e Farsh al-Hawa, e visou residências, empresas, locais industriais e infraestrutura.

He said dozens of families had been forced to spend the night outside, with some told to leave without taking their vehicles, while homes were marked for demolition with spray paint.

Ele acrescentou que acreditava que o militar planejava deslocar um total de 2. 500 pessoas de aproximadamente 0,35 km² de terreno urbano. O governador da cidade e o vice‑prefeito, por sua vez, disseram que pelo menos 200 famílias foram deslocadas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond immediately to the BBC's request for comment. It said in a statement on social media that it had dozens of targets across the West Bank and that its operations would last for several days.

Previous imageNext imageSlide 1 of 3, Sandy land around checkpoint. Wreckage in the distance. , Wreckage was seen around the site of Friday's shooting following demolitions by Israeli forcesEnd of image galleryIt is common practice for Israeli forces to demolish the homes of Palestinians who are suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis in the West Bank - a practice Israeli rights groups have criticised as collective punishment.

Netanyahu comparou a operação a operações anteriores em campos de refugiados palestinos no norte do território, quando o exército israelense demoliu centenas de casas e deslocou dezenas de milhares em 2025.

Friday's shooting came during a tense time for the region, with Israel's general election taking place in four days' time.

Netanyahu - who has built his campaign on the promise of security - cancelled his party's campaign events for Friday morning and headed to Hebron, wearing protective armour and posting a video on social media from the scene.

We will evacuate the residents, go house to house, remove the weapons we find there, and deal with and destroy all terrorist infrastructure," he said.

Ele também anunciou que havia revisado planos para a maior operação militar na Cisjordânia desde 1967 – embora não tenha dito quando poderia ser realizada. Não está claro se a operação em andamento em Hebron faz parte disso.

In a statement, the PA called for "urgent international action that went beyond condemnation" to prevent further forced displacement.

Meanwhile, his far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to launch a campaign in the West Bank "exactly like in Gaza or Lebanon," while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called for Israel to dismantle the PA.

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

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