The Minister of Defense of Israel, Israel Katz, communicated this Friday that the security forces will proceed to evacuate entire neighborhoods of the city of Hebron, in the West Bank, after the shooting recorded early in the day in the area, in which two Israeli soldiers have died and three others have been injured. The attack has been attributed to two Palestinians who have ultimately been shot down by Israeli forces.
In an official note, Katz stated that "The model of the Jenin refugee camp reaches Hebron. All the neighborhoods formed by clans in Hebron from which the terrorists left today will be evacuated, while the terrorist infrastructures will be dismantled and destroyed." He subsequently defended that "This is the only language that jihadist terrorism understands. Like in Gaza, like in Lebanon."
The Defense official also emphasized that the attack fits into a scenario "of what has already been warned." He indicated that "The Shiite axis of Iran and its satellite groups, as well as the axis of the Muslim Brotherhood, plan to carry out attacks and terrorist acts against Israeli soldiers and Israeli civilians, in order to sabotage and influence the upcoming elections."
In parallel, the Minister of Finance, the far-right Bezalel Smotrich, has ordered the demolition of a "wide row" of buildings near the site where the shooting occurred.
"After the attack, I ordered the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab constructions adjacent to the site of the attack. The order will be executed in the next hour and will take place during the afternoon hours," Smotrich stated in a message disseminated on his social networks.
The Israeli Army has confirmed the death of the two presumed attackers, identified as Mohamad Yaaba and Firas Yaaba, both 27 years old and residents of Hebron. According to the newspaper 'The Times of Israel', the two men would be relatives, although the exact relationship between them has not yet been specified.
After the attack, the Armed Forces have imposed a "total siege" on Hebron and its surrounding area and have begun searches "in the houses of the terrorists and other suspects." This closure has been adopted by order of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has also demanded to prepare a comprehensive blockade of all of the West Bank starting this Friday.
NETANYAHU PROMISES TO "DESTROY" NEIGHBORHOODS OF HEBRON
During a visit to the city alongside Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured that the neighborhood of Hebron where the attackers lived will be "destroyed." "First of all, we will act to destroy this place, to completely change it," he stated.
Netanyahu has advanced that "But we are going to do something that has not been done until now: we will implement the successful and aggressive model that we used in the refugee camps, which are, in essence, terrorist strongholds," according to 'The Times of Israel'.
In this line, he recalled that, after the attacks of October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have "evacuated the residents of the refugee camps where terrorist groups operated." "That is exactly what we will do here, in the neighborhood of Hebron from which the terrorists emerged," he added.
The head of the Government also specified that "We will evacuate the residents, we will go house by house, we will remove the weapons found there and all the terrorist infrastructure will be dismantled and destroyed. Israel will also eliminate the homes built without permission along the roads in the West Bank," emphasizing that such constructions pose "a threat to Israeli forces."
Netanyahu has also anticipated that a "large-scale operation in the West Bank is expected, the largest since Israel captured the territory in 1967." He has assured that "The Army is prepared to carry it out; we will determine the timing, but it is underway."
Finally, the Prime Minister has addressed some words to the "heroic Israeli settlers" just a few days before the general elections and has pointed out that "They are a model for the people of Israel."