Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem has warned that Israel is expanding its campaign of "ethnic cleansing" to the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, pointing to active plans for mass displacement and structural destruction. The warning follows a shooting incident near Hebron on Friday that left two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinians dead, while three other soldiers sustained injuries.
In the wake of the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced new measures aimed at forcibly displacing local residents and executing widespread demolitions. Netanyahu stated, "We will apply in the cities the successful offensive model we implemented in the refugee camps." B'Tselem noted that this exact tactic has already displaced more than 33,000 Palestinians across the northern occupied West Bank.
On the ground, Israeli military forces sealed off Hebron and the neighbouring town of Halhul for a second straight day. Troops forced dozens of Palestinian residents from their homes, conducted residential raids, and demolished a residential building alongside several other properties. Concurrently, the Israeli Civil Administration began razing Palestinian structures in the Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhood.
Alongside the military operations, extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the establishment of four new illegal settlement farming outposts throughout the South Hebron Hills. B'Tselem cautioned that these coordinated actions serve a broader strategy to dismantle Palestinian community life, expand illegal settlements, and entrench permanent occupation, warning they could constitute war crimes that mirror Israel's multi-year genocide in Gaza.
Urging foreign governments and international bodies to step in using all available mechanisms under international law, B'Tselem called for immediate action to halt collective punishment, forcible displacement, and unlawful destruction. "Israeli leaders are openly declaring their intentions, and actions on the ground have already begun," the rights group emphasized, adding that "the world cannot stand by as Israel continues its assault on Palestinians, waiting for yet more neighbourhoods to be emptied and erased before intervening."
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.