Israeli forces have continued a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank, sealing Hebron and restricting movement ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections.
More than 2,200 people, including almost 200 children, have been displaced in Hebron since a gun attack on Friday killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
All entrances to and exits from the city have remained closed, with operations concentrated in Deir Bahha and Al-Jalda, according to Hebron mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari.
“People cannot reach or enter the city, and they cannot leave it. The blockade has affected every aspect of life,” Mr Al-Jabari said.
The Israeli military said it had operated in more than 400 locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it alleged were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Most Palestinian workers holding permits will also be prevented from entering Israeli settlements for work on Sunday and Monday, the military said. Crossings into Israel are due to remain closed until after Tuesday’s elections.
The election is widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and security policies during three years of war. Mr Netanyahu, who is seeking re-election, has received the endorsement of US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at the site of Friday’s attack, Mr Netanyahu vowed a forceful response, saying: “We warned a few weeks ago about attempts by our enemies to harm us, our citizens and our soldiers ahead of the election. We will act to destroy this place.”
Six Israelis have been killed in attacks in the West Bank this year, while 112 Palestinians have died during the same period, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.
About three million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied during the 1967 Middle East war. Hebron is among its most tense cities and the only place where Jewish settlers live in the centre of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection.
