Israeli forces used a stun grenade on Wednesday to disperse Palestinians protesting an Israeli military operation that has displaced thousands of residents from a Hebron neighborhood in the occupied West Bank. The unrest comes amid heightened tensions following the killing of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint last week.
The protests occurred as Israelis were voting in a general election in which the government’s approach to the West Bank has been a prominent issue. Palestinian officials have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of intensifying military actions in the area to rally support from his right-wing base during the election campaign. Israeli authorities maintain that their operations are a direct response to the attack on their soldiers.
At the demonstration, a group of Palestinian men, women, and children assembled, with some holding signs condemning collective punishment, closures, and displacement. Israeli troops fired stun grenades to disperse the crowd and allow military operations to proceed.
According to United Nations reports, more than 3,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign, which is focused on neighborhoods near the checkpoint where the soldiers were killed. The Israeli military has carried out demolitions in the area but stated that weapons were not found during house searches. Since the attack, Israel has restricted access to many Palestinian cities and towns across the West Bank, severely limiting Palestinians' freedom of movement.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which operates under UN mandate but separately from the organization, issued a scathing report accusing Israel of committing crimes against humanity, including "extermination" in the West Bank and "genocide" in Gaza. The commission’s report, released shortly before the Israeli election, states that Israeli forces have engaged in a “widespread and systematic attack” on civilians, including acts of torture and persecution based on nationality, race, and ethnicity. UN human rights chief Volker Türk called collective punishment a grave violation of international law and raised concerns about actions that might amount to ethnic cleansing.
Residents displaced from the Hebron neighborhood criticized the election’s potential to bring change. “Among themselves they will elect who is the oppressor and who will destroy the Palestinian people. That is their election,” said Sana’ Salman Abu Sneineh, a former resident. Noura Nassar, another displaced individual who participated in the protests, highlighted the humanitarian impact of the closures. “Where is the democracy in all of this? Their elections are today, sure, but what about us? Aren’t we human beings? We want to go out, we want to visit the doctor,” she said.
Both Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Under Netanyahu’s government, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have expanded rapidly, despite being widely considered illegal under international law. The right-wing coalition has also seen an increase in militant settler violence against Palestinians, further exacerbating tensions in the region.