Israel to close West Bank crossings on election day as crackdown escalates

All West Bank land crossings will be closed during Tuesday's election in Israel, the country's military says, and Palestinian workers will be barred from entering all settlements.

The restrictions come amid a crackdown in the occupied West Bank after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers in the territory.

The Israel Defense Forces announced a "ban on the entry and exit of Palestinian workers throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, including industrial zones, as well as the closure of all land crossings" on Tuesday.

It said most workers would also be barred from settlements from Sunday, with the exception of industrial zones and a limited number of other areas.

Before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, more than 100,000 Palestinian workers were permitted to enter Israel. Since then only a small fraction have had their permits restored.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a major operation on Friday in response to the killing of two Israeli soldiers by two Palestinian gunmen in an attack on a checkpoint. Three other Israeli soldiers were injured, and the gunmen were also killed.

The Israeli military have been demolishing homes and businesses in the city of Hebron, with hundreds of families having been displaced.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said about 2,000 residents had been displaced by the operation, which has led to at least one whole street appearing to have been flattened, according to footage shared online.

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