Israeli settlers vow to stay as national elections approach in the West Bank
Settlers in the West Bank say they will not abandon their homes ahead of Israel's upcoming legislative elections, while two soldiers were killed in a Hebron-area attack.
From the hilltop of Nave Daniel, a veteran settler declared that abandoning the community is impossible, emphasizing the strategic reach of Israeli fire. Barbed wire fences surround the settlement to deter Palestinian intruders. The Israeli electorate is preparing to vote in national elections, a topic that has dominated the campaign. On the preceding Friday, an armed assault in the Hebron sector resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers.
Why it matters
The story shows how settlement politics and security incidents intersect ahead of a pivotal Israeli election.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Oct 17 Settlers attacked a diplomatic convoy in Taybeh, injuring French mayor Bernard Baudoux.
- Oct 19 Israeli police have taken eight individuals into custody following a series of assaults by settlers in the West Bank, which targeted a U.S. photojournalist and several European diplomats.
- Oct 19 Police have arrested ten suspects and filed charges of violent conduct and breach of military orders.
- Oct 23 The strike that killed Akram Yassin and Dina Abu Baker was reported on Tuesday.
- Oct 23 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli army is being readied for a comprehensive lockdown of the West Bank following a shooting that wounded five Israelis.
- Oct 23 Netanyahu signalled a broader West Bank shutdown and convened an emergency security cabinet meeting.
- Oct 23 Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said troops would “act forcefully, pursue and reach all those involved in the attack”.
- Oct 24 Israeli forces began coordinated raids that demolished commercial buildings in western Hebron, entered a refugee camp south of the city, used tear‑gas in a northern village, deployed vehicles to Nablus, set up roadblocks and directed residents to leave through screened exits.
- Oct 24 Following the killing of two Israeli soldiers by suspected Palestinians, the Israeli military imposed a full siege on Hebron and ordered a shutdown of the West Bank. The operation involved house searches, demolitions and the arrest of dozens of residents, while settlers attacked local farmers. The move comes days before a national election that could threaten Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hold on power.
- Oct 24 Israeli troops arrested 19 Palestinians during the second day of the Hebron siege.
- Oct 24 Israeli forces began demolishing homes and sealing the city of Hebron following the killing of two soldiers.
- Oct 25 Israel announced that all land crossings with the West Bank will be closed on election day and that most Palestinian workers will be barred from settlement areas.
- Oct 26 Construction of eight new settlement outposts south of Hebron began.
In this story
Related stories
131 in this thread