Israel to close occupied West Bank crossings on election day

Israel’s army said in a Sunday statement it would close all land crossings with the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, election day, after barring Palestinian workers from most areas from Sunday through Monday.

The measures extend restrictions beyond Hebron, where Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said about 2,000 people had been displaced, while Hebron’s mayor said the number was 2,200 on Saturday.

The army announcement followed a Friday attack by two Palestinian gunmen on an Israeli army reserve base that killed two Israeli soldiers, Al Jazeera and AFP reported. The two Palestinians were also killed, according to the report.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered what he called a “full lockdown” of the occupied West Bank after the attack. Israeli forces have since carried out hundreds of raids, Al Jazeera and AFP reported.

Katz said in an interview with public broadcaster Kan that displaced residents would remain barred from returning. “They will not be allowed to return to their neighbourhood until we’ve finished dealing with all the Hamas issues in Hebron,” he said.

Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Ja’bari said to Al Jazeera that Hebron and several nearby villages were under a “complete blockade.” He said Israeli troops and raids had forced 2,200 people from their homes by Saturday.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, called for international pressure on Israel to protect Hebron residents. It said Israel’s measures amounted to “collective punishment,” citing home demolitions, displacement and the closure of Palestinian cities.

Residents said soldiers announced evacuation orders late at night over loudspeakers, leaving them little time to prepare and few places to go, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. Israel’s military said the operation would last several days.

Hebron is one of the West Bank’s largest population centres. About 200,000 Palestinians live in the city, and a further 600,000 live in Hebron governorate, making it the territory’s most populous area.

The closure order adds a direct election-day restriction to a wider Israeli security campaign in the occupied West Bank. The report did not include a response from Hamas or details on how long the Tuesday crossing closure would remain in force.

Netanyahu has suggested a larger operation, saying he was planning action on a scale not seen since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, according to the report. Israel’s general election is scheduled for Oct. 27.

From Oct. 25 to Oct. 26, the immediate test is whether the Israeli army enforces its stated bar on Palestinian workers entering most areas of the occupied West Bank from Sunday through Monday.

On Oct. 27, the focus shifts to whether all land crossings into and out of the occupied West Bank close during Israel’s general election, as the army said.

Over the several days from Oct. 25, another observable is whether the Hebron operation continues for the period indicated by Israel’s military, and whether displaced residents are allowed to return.

Source: news report, Al Jazeera and AFP, Oct. 25, 2026