Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister has threatened a major military operation in the occupied West Bank after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers near Hebron, raising fears of further displacement as violence escalates ahead of Israel’s October 27 election.
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The attack in the southern West Bank wounded three other Israeli soldiers, according to the military. The two Palestinian gunmen were subsequently shot dead by Israeli troops, officials said.
Netanyahu visited the scene and said Israeli forces would remove residents from a Hebron neighbourhood where he said the attackers had come from. He also threatened house-to-house searches and the destruction of what he described as terrorist infrastructure.
“That is exactly what we will do here,” Netanyahu said. “We will evacuate the residents, we will go house-to-house, we will also confiscate the weapons there, and all terrorist infrastructures will be dealt with and destroyed.”
Following his remarks, Reuters reporters saw Israeli bulldozers beginning to demolish homes near the scene of the shooting. Local residents said the houses facing demolition had no connection to the attackers. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Netanyahu compared the proposed operation with Israeli military assaults on two Palestinian refugee camps in 2025, which displaced tens of thousands of people. Human Rights Watch said the expulsions amounted to war crimes, a characterisation Israel rejects.
The latest violence comes amid increased attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, particularly during the annual olive harvest. At least three Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks in recent weeks, while dozens of others, including journalists, European diplomats and a French mayor, have been wounded, according to the report.
Palestinian gunmen have also carried out attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in the West Bank. In September, a gunman killed an Israeli man at a spring near a settlement. The suspected attacker was later arrested.
Violence in the territory has intensified since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023 triggered the war in Gaza. Israeli military operations, settlement expansion and attacks by settlers have heightened tensions, while Palestinian attacks have continued to target Israelis.
The confrontation also comes at a politically sensitive moment for Netanyahu. Opinion polls ahead of Tuesday’s election indicate that both his right-wing coalition and his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, could fall short of securing a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu’s government has overseen an expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which United Nations bodies and most countries consider illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position.
The threatened operation in Hebron could deepen the humanitarian consequences of the violence, particularly if residents are forced from their homes. The circumstances surrounding the planned demolitions, including whether the affected properties are linked to the attackers, remain contested.
Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
