Israel Demolishes Hebron Home Amid West Bank Crackdown

Israeli bulldozers tore down the Hebron home of Palestinian businessman Riyad Mureish on Friday, part of a broader crackdown Israeli officials launched across the occupied West Bank, according to NBC News.

What happened to Riyad Mureish's home?

Mureish, 49, told NBC News he put his life savings into the house. He said Israeli soldiers gave his family only minutes to gather valuables and identity documents before ordering them out, and that a court decree that should have blocked the demolition did not stop the soldiers. The home had been the subject of a long-running dispute with Israeli authorities, who retain significant power over construction permits in the area, NBC News reported. Mureish is now sheltering in a small room at a neighbor's house with his wife and children.

"No house, no land, no money, what can I do?" Mureish said.

Why does Netanyahu say the crackdown is necessary?

The demolition came the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood in another part of Hebron wearing a military-style vest and vowed to intensify operations across the West Bank, NBC News reported. His remarks followed a shooting attack that left two Israeli soldiers and two gunmen dead. Netanyahu said the military would enter neighborhoods from which attackers had emerged, evacuate residents and go "house to house" to confront any threat.

"We are going to destroy terrorist infrastructure, and we are going to build the infrastructure for settlement," Netanyahu told cameras, according to NBC News. He spoke days before Israel's Oct. 27 election, which will decide whether he remains in power.

How is Hebron affected by the lockdown?

Israeli forces have "sealed off all the entrances" to Hebron, "making it impossible for anyone to enter or leave," Yousef al-Jabari, the city's Palestinian mayor, told NBC News. A key mosque was forced to close, and residents in some areas were being removed from their homes, al-Jabari said.

What do Palestinian officials say about the demolition?

Palestinian officials accused Netanyahu of launching a politically motivated "collective punishment" campaign in Hebron following the deadly shooting, according to NBC News.

What is the timeline of events?

• Deadly shooting attack kills two Israeli soldiers and two gunmen.
• Netanyahu visits Hebron, vows to intensify West Bank operations.
• Oct. 23: Bulldozers demolish Mureish's home in Hebron.
• Israeli forces seal entrances to Hebron, per the city's mayor.
• Oct. 27: Israel holds elections that will determine Netanyahu's political future.

What to watch

• Whether Israeli forces conduct further house-to-house operations in Hebron neighborhoods tied to the shooting.
• Whether the court decree Mureish cited becomes a factor in any legal challenge to the demolition.
• Whether Hebron's entrance closures and mosque shutdown persist past the Oct. 27 election.
• Whether Palestinian officials escalate their "collective punishment" accusation through international channels.