Israel seals West Bank crossings until after Tuesday elections
CBS News reports Israel's military closed West Bank crossings until after Tuesday's elections and displaced over 2,200 in Hebron after a deadly attack.
The story in focus
CBS News reports the Israeli military kept West Bank crossings into Israel closed until after Tuesday's elections and restricted Palestinian work permits, following a Friday Hebron gun attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. The military said it operated in over 400 locations and arrested 40 Palestinians; Hebron's municipality reported more than 2,200 displaced.
- CBS News reported the Israeli military said crossings into Israel would stay closed until after Tuesday's elections.
- The military said most Palestinian workers with permits could not enter Israeli settlements for work on Sunday and Monday.
- The operation followed a Friday gun attack in Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three, per CBS News.
- The military said it operated in more than 400 locations and arrested 40 Palestinians it described as Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad affiliates.
- Hebron's municipality reported more than 2,200 displaced, including nearly 200 children, with all entrances and exits sealed.
Movement restrictions and operation scope
CBS News reported on October 25, 2026, that the Israeli military continued a large-scale West Bank operation and said crossings into Israel would remain closed until after Tuesday's elections. The military said most Palestinian workers holding permits would be barred from entering Israeli settlements for work on Sunday and Monday.
According to CBS News, the military said it operated in more than 400 locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The operation followed a Friday gun attack in Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
Hebron displacement and closures
Hebron's municipality said more than 2,200 people, including nearly 200 children under 18, were displaced over two days, CBS News reported. Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari said all entrances and exits to the city had remained sealed since Friday's attack, with the operation concentrated in Deir Bahha and an area called Al-Jalda.
CBS News reported that six Israelis have been killed this year in West Bank attacks, while the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry put Palestinian deaths at 112 over the same period.
Election context
CBS News reported the election is largely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership and security policies during three years of war. Friday's attack prompted statements from Netanyahu and three members of his right-wing government at the site, vowing a forceful response, according to CBS News.
What did the Israeli military say about West Bank crossings and work permits before the elections?
CBS News reported the military said crossings into Israel would stay closed until after Tuesday's elections and that most Palestinian workers with permits could not enter Israeli settlements for work on Sunday and Monday.
Sources & further reading
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