Israel’s armed campaign in Hebron, a city in the occupied West Bank, drew strong criticism on Monday from the UN secretary-general and the UN human rights commissioner. The operation was launched in response to a Friday exchange of fire that killed two Israeli military personnel and two Palestinian gunmen and wounded another three Israeli soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the army to tear down buildings in Hebron and to impose a closure on the West Bank, a move that came shortly before a general election on Tuesday. The UN officials warned that the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the closure of the West Bank could amount to collective punishment, and they raised the spectre of ethnic cleansing.
- Key Point: Hebron’s municipality said the evacuation order covered over 3,000 residents, among them 200 babies.
- Key Point: Antonio Guterres, in a post on X, said settlements were growing and evictions were relentless, and he warned that coercion was increasing and that ethnic cleansing loomed larger.
- Key Point: Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, condemned the “aggressive operation,” said it had displaced thousands, destroyed homes and businesses and restricted movement, and called collective punishment a grave breach of international law.
- Key Point: Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected a UN report that alleged war crimes in the West Bank as “propaganda,” while Tuesday’s election could end Netanyahu’s premiership.
Firefight, demolitions and a sealed territory
Friday’s shootout killed two Israeli troops and two Palestinian gunmen; three additional Israeli soldiers were wounded. Netanyahu’s response was to order demolitions in Hebron and a closure across the West Bank, with the national ballot only days away. Troops moved into Deir Baha, the neighbourhood where the assailants lived, and instructed residents to collect their belongings and depart. The Hebron municipality said over 3,000 residents, among them 200 babies, received orders to leave.
Over the weekend, the Israeli military said its troops were conducting precise, targeted and thorough searches in Hebron. It described the mission as an effort to:
“locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure and locate weapons, alongside questioning suspects”
The army said the operation would last “for several days” and concentrate on Deir Baha. A video carried with the report was captioned:
“Israeli army demolishes Palestinian buildings in Hebron”
UN condemnation focuses on displacement and punishment
In a Monday post on X, Antonio Guterres wrote that Israeli settlements were expanding and that Palestinians were being pushed off their land. The UN secretary-general also warned that the environment was becoming more coercive.
“settlements are expanding, evictions are unrelenting with Palestinians driven from their lands… We are seeing an increasingly coercive environment, with the spectre of ethnic cleaning looming ever larger.”
Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, separately condemned what he called an “aggressive operation” that had forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes. He said the campaign had left residents unable to move around freely.
“demolished homes and commercial property, and deprived residents of the ability to move freely.”
Türk also described the measures as collective punishment and said threats to empty and erase whole neighbourhoods raised grave concerns about ethnic cleansing.
“Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law. Threats to empty and erase entire neighbourhoods also raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing.”
Report rejected as ‘propaganda’ as voters prepare to vote
A UN report issued on Monday alleged that Israel had committed war crimes in the West Bank. Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the findings and dismissed the document as “propaganda.”
“not a human rights report but a propaganda document detached from reality, aimed at undermining Israel’s right to self-defense, delegitimizing the Jewish state, and legitimizing jihadist terrorism against its citizens.”
The report’s release and the Hebron operation both landed in the final stretch of a campaign before Tuesday’s election, a vote that could bring Netanyahu’s time in office to an end. Netanyahu has often presented himself as the only leader capable of keeping Israel safe, while his opponents have said he lacks a plan.
A video accompanying the coverage was headlined:
“Ehud Olmert: ‘Likely Netanyahu will not be reelected’”
The Hebron campaign therefore sits at the intersection of security, law and electoral politics. Israel describes the searches as targeted and says they are meant to dismantle militant infrastructure; UN officials describe the same measures as collective punishment and warn of displacement that could amount to ethnic cleansing. The dispute is not only about the facts on the ground but about how those facts are named. For Palestinians in Deir Baha, the immediate question is whether those ordered out will be able to return; for Israeli voters, the question is whether the operation strengthens or weakens Netanyahu’s claim to be the guarantor of security. The UN report and the Foreign Ministry’s rejection show how far apart the two sides are, and the election on Tuesday will determine who carries that argument forward. What remains clear is that the closure and demolitions will outlast the campaign, and that the UN’s most senior officials have now attached the language of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing to an operation launched just before a vote.