Israel to shut West Bank crossings for election day
Every West Bank land crossing will close on Tuesday as Israelis vote, following a Hebron operation that Israel says displaced about 2,000 people.
Developing story. Details may change as more information is confirmed.
Israel's military says it will close every land crossing into and out of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when Israelis vote in a general election. Palestinian workers were also barred from entering most areas from Sunday through Monday.
The closure comes at a time of high tension in the southern West Bank.
On Friday, two Palestinian gunmen attacked an Israeli army reserve base in Hebron, killing two soldiers. Both attackers were also killed. The Israeli army then launched a large operation in and around the city and placed it under lockdown.
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said about 2,000 people had been displaced by the operation and would not be allowed back until the army had finished dealing with Hamas in the city. Hebron's mayor put the number at around 2,200, and Palestinian officials later gave a figure above 2,600. The exact number could not be independently confirmed.
The Palestinian Authority called Israel's actions collective punishment, citing home demolitions and forced evacuations, and appealed for international pressure on Israel.
The closure will affect Palestinians who normally cross each day to work in Israel and in settlements. The Israeli military has said the Hebron operation will last several days.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.