Israel will close all land crossings with the West Coast on Tuesday, election day, while Palestinian workers will ban entry into Israeli settlements.
The move comes within the framework of increased military operations on occupied territory, following the murder of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinian armed men, Television broadcast.
Israeli Defence Forces announced the ban on the entry and exit of Palestinian workers across the West Coast, which Israel refers to as Judea and Samaria, as well as the Jordan Valley. Limitations include industrial zones and all land crossings.
According to the Israeli Army, most workers will be barred from entering Israeli settlements since Sunday, except for industrial zones and some other limited areas. Before the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, more than 100,000 Palestinians were allowed to work in Israel. Since then, only a small portion of them have managed to restore work permits.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday the launch of a major military operation, following an attack on a checkpoint, where two Palestinian armed men killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others. Both attackers were also killed.
Since the start of the operation, the Israeli Army has demotivated homes and businesses in the city of Hebron, causing the shift of hundreds of families.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said some 2,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes. The published online images show that at least one street seems to have been levelled almost entirely.
Even prior to announcing bans on Palestinian workers, the army had imposed the siege of Hebron and had significantly limited the movement of the city’s 200 thousand inhabitants.
Israeli forces often break down the homes of Palestinians suspected of attacks on Israelis on the West Coast. The Israeli human rights organization has criticised the practice, calling it collective punishment.
Friday’s attack occurred in a tense period, just days before elections in Israel. In an interview published on Saturday for Israel’s 24th television, Netanyah warned that the Palestinian Authority, which manages parts of the territory, awaits a very large ʹsurreme.
The mayor of Hebron, Yousef al-Jaabari, said the operation is under the influence of elections. According to him, Netanyahu and his ministers are trying to provide the support of the far right and the Israelite settlers.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered Saturday at Tel Aviv in a major protest against the government. The demonstration was organised by the October Council, a group founded by victims’ families and hostages taken by militants during the October 7th 2023 attack.
Organisers demand that the government be held responsible for failing to prevent the attack and establish a state investigative commission. In a statement published on the social network X, the group said the rally marks the peak of three years of attempts to whitewash the truth and demand accountability.
The leaders of the four main opposition parties also took part in the protest, among them Gadi Eisencot, the former Israeli Army Chief of Staff, who, according to the report, is holding a tight political race with Netanyah. /Telegraphy/