‘It’s collective punishment’: nearly 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron displaced as Israeli forces take over homes

Families forced to flee as Netanyahu tries to prove security credentials after two Israeli soldiers killed days before election

Hebron, the biggest city in the West Bank, had paid little attention to Israel’s looming elections until it found itself suddenly in the midst of them, a proving ground for Benjamin Netanyahu’s security credentials in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.

A gun attack on an Israeli military checkpoint on Friday in which two soldiers were killed brought immediate televised visits from Netanyahu and his finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, whose ruling coalition is narrowly trailing with two days of campaigning left.