Israel Closes West Bank Crossings Ahead of Election Amid Escalating Crackdown

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that all West Bank land crossings will be closed on Tuesday, coinciding with Israel's election day. Palestinian workers will be barred from entering settlements in the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley, including industrial zones. The military stated that most workers would be prohibited from entering settlements starting Sunday, with limited exceptions for industrial areas.

This move follows a significant escalation of security measures and a crackdown in the West Bank, occurring in the wake of a Palestinian attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. The IDF also announced a ban on the entry and exit of Palestinian workers throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

Prior to the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, over 100,000 Palestinian workers held permits to enter Israel. Since then, only a small fraction of these permits have been reinstated.

The intensified operations come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major military operation on Friday. This operation was in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers and the injury of three others at a checkpoint by Palestinian gunmen, who were subsequently killed.

Reports indicate that Israeli military forces have been demolishing homes and businesses in Hebron. Hundreds of families have reportedly been displaced by these actions. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that approximately 2,000 residents have been displaced as a result of the operation, with footage circulating online showing at least one street flattened.

Even before the announcement of the entry and exit bans for workers on Sunday, the IDF had already cordoned off Hebron, severely restricting the movement of its 200,000 residents. The demolition of homes belonging to Palestinians suspected of carrying out attacks on Israelis in the West Bank is a practice that Israeli rights groups have criticized as collective punishment.

The shooting incident on Friday occurred during a period of heightened tension in the region, just days before the scheduled election. In an interview released on Saturday, Netanyahu alluded to a "very big surprise" for the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank.

Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari suggested that the current operations are politically motivated, driven by the upcoming elections, and that Netanyahu and his ministers are seeking to secure votes from the far-right and settler populations.

Meanwhile, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday for a large anti-government demonstration. The protest, organized by the October Council—a group formed by families of victims and hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack—demanded accountability for the failures that preceded the attack. The gathering included leaders of four major opposition parties, such as former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who is in close electoral competition with Netanyahu.