The Israeli army said Sunday that Palestinian workers would be barred from entering most areas of the West Bank from Sunday through Monday, followed by a complete closure of crossings into and out of the territory on election day.
The announcement came a day after occupation forces imposed a lockdown on Hebron and forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes amid an intensifying military campaign across the occupied territory.
Since Friday’s attack by two Palestinian gunmen on an Israeli army reserve base in Hebron, which killed two Israeli soldiers, occupation forces have carried out hundreds of raids across the city.
The two Palestinian gunmen were also killed in the attack.
In response, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “full lockdown” of the West Bank, while war minister Israel Katz confirmed that “about 2,000” Palestinians had been forcibly displaced.
Meanwhile, Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Ja’bari told Al Jazeera that the city and several neighbouring villages were under a complete blockade.
He said Saturday that Israeli soldiers and raids had forced 2,200 people from their homes.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of Hebron and the West Bank, has called for international pressure on Israel to protect residents facing forced displacement and military raids.
Residents said soldiers announced evacuation orders over loudspeakers late at night, leaving families with little time to prepare and few places to seek shelter.
The PA condemned the Israeli regime’s actions as “collective punishment,” citing home demolitions, the forced displacement of entire neighbourhoods, and the “closure and siege of Palestinian cities”.
Hebron is the most populous area of the occupied West Bank, with about 200,000 Palestinians living in the city and another 600,000 in the surrounding governorate.
The Israeli military has said its operation will continue for several days.
However, Netanyahu has signaled a broader escalation, saying he is planning an operation on a scale not seen since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.