Israel announces West Bank crossing closures for election day

Israel's military says all land crossings in the occupied West Bank will close during the country's election on Tuesday, with Palestinian workers also prohibited from entering settlements. The announcement comes as Israeli forces intensify an operation launched after two soldiers were killed by Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint.

The Israel Defense Forces announced the restrictions on Sunday, saying Tuesday's measures would prevent Palestinian workers from entering or leaving areas across the West Bank and Jordan Valley, including industrial zones. Most workers would also be denied access to settlements beginning Sunday, although industrial zones and a limited number of other areas were exempted from those earlier restrictions.

Access to work in Israel has already been sharply reduced since the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. Before that attack, more than 100,000 Palestinians had permission to enter Israel for work. Only a small proportion have since had their permits reinstated.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major military operation on Friday after two Palestinian gunmen attacked a checkpoint, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring three others. Both attackers were killed. In Hebron, Israeli forces have been demolishing homes and businesses, displacing hundreds of families. Defence Minister Israel Katz put the number of displaced residents at about 2,000, while footage circulated online appeared to show at least one entire street flattened.

The military had already sealed off Hebron before Sunday's announcement about worker restrictions, severely limiting movement for the city's 200,000 residents. Israeli forces commonly demolish the homes of Palestinians suspected of attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. Israeli rights groups have criticised that practice as collective punishment.

The checkpoint shooting and subsequent operation have come in the tense days before Tuesday's election. In an interview released on Saturday by Israel's i24 television channel, Netanyahu threatened a “very big surprise” for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the territory. Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari said the operation was being “driven by the elections”, accusing Netanyahu and his ministers of trying to win support from far-right voters and settlers.

Separately, thousands attended an anti-government rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday. The demonstration was organised by the October Council, a group established by families of victims and hostages taken by militants on October 7, 2023. It sought accountability for the failure to prevent the Hamas-led attack.

Ahead of the rally, the council said on X that the event would mark three years of efforts to uncover the truth, demand accountability and secure a state commission of inquiry. Leaders of the four main opposition parties participated, including former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who is neck and neck with Netanyahu.