An Israeli human rights organisation has accused the government of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. B’Tselem issued a statement calling on international institutions and global governments to use all available legal means to halt the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
The organisation warned against collective punishment and extensive unlawful destruction by state forces. Israeli leaders are openly declaring their intentions while operational steps on the ground have already begun.
The escalation followed a shooting near Hebron on Friday that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently announced plans to forcibly displace Palestinian residents and carry out extensive demolitions.
Netanyahu stated that authorities would apply the successful offensive model implemented in the refugee camps to the cities. That military model has already displaced more than 33,000 Palestinians across the northern West Bank, B’Tselem reported.
Rights defenders warned that authorities are threatening to bring identical mass displacement and destruction to Hebron. Israeli forces have already cordoned off Hebron and nearby Halhul, and the Civil Administration has started demolishing Palestinian structures in the Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhood.
Separately, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the establishment of four new settlement farming outposts in the South Hebron Hills. B’Tselem stated that these plans could amount to war crimes and resemble operations conducted during the multi-year military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The group described the measures as part of a wider strategy to dismantle Palestinian civilian life while expanding Jewish settlements and entrenching permanent control.
The warning was released as the Israeli army maintained its siege of Hebron for a second consecutive day. Troops forced dozens of Palestinians from their residences, demolished a residential building alongside other structures, and conducted widespread home raids.
The military closure was imposed after Friday’s shooting incident. According to Israeli figures, two Palestinians were also killed during the incident, while three soldiers sustained injuries.
