Israel begins West Bank operation in Hebron

 The Israeli military forced around 1,200 Palestinians to leave their homes in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said on Saturday, a day after a Palestinian attack killed two Israeli soldiers. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday had said the military would launch a large-scale operation after the soldiers were killed when when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near the city. The Israeli military said the gunmen were shot dead.

They also said the operation in the Al-Jaladah and Ein Deir Baha neighbourhoods near the military checkpoint at the entrance of Hebron was to search for militants and weapons. In a statement, it also said the military would carry out demolitions. 

The Palestinian Authority criticised the operation as a "collective punishment". 

Yousef Zouhair Al-Jabari, the head of Hebron's municipality, said around 1,300 faced losing their homes in addition to the 1,200 already displaced.

He also said the Israeli operations were motivated by parliamentary elections on Tuesday when Netanyahu's right-wing coalition may lose his majority, opinion polls show.

"Netanyahu and the radical ministers in his government are trying to win as many votes as possible from the settlers," Al-Jabari said.

The non-governmental organisation the Palestinian Prisoners' Club said Israeli forces had arrested around 70 Palestinians on Friday and Saturday. Israeli officials have not commented on any arrests.

Al-Jabari said the military had demolished shops, factories, homes, and roads in Hebron and that the response was disproportionate and unjustified.