IDF to impose lockdown on West Bank during Israel’s election

The Israeli military said Sunday it would be imposing a lockdown on the West Bank during Israel’s national election on Tuesday, and would prevent Palestinian laborers from entering settlements from Sunday until after the election. The Israel Defense Forces said that following a fresh assessment, Palestinians with work permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements across the West Bank and Jordan Valley, with the exception of industrial zones and a “limited number of other approved areas.” According to data from last year, some 9,000 Palestinians have permits to work in settlements or nearby industrial zones. In Israel proper, only around 7,000 Palestinians are allowed to enter each month, and all are classified as essential workers in sectors such as hospitality or food manufacturing. Additionally, Israel’s political leadership approved the defense establishment’s recommendation to impose a complete ban on Palestinian workers entering all settlements and industrial zones on election day, as well as shuttering all West Bank land crossings with Israel for Palestinians, the military said. The crossings will reopen and the ban on Palestinian workers will be lifted after election day, likely on Wednesday morning, pending a fresh assessment. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir last week placed the military on its “highest state of alert” and canceled soldiers’ leave, saying the IDF’s mission was to ensure that Tuesday’s election could take place safely and on schedule “without external interference.” Israeli soldiers guard a closed checkpoint south of the West Bank city of Nablus, following the Israeli army’s decision to impose a widespread closure across the West Bank after a deadly shooting attack near Hebron yesterday, which killed two Israeli soldiers, October 24, 2026. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90) Meanwhile, on Sunday morning the IDF began a drill simulating a multifront attack. The exercise will run through Monday in the country’s north and center, including the West Bank, with the participation of the Israeli Air Force, Northern Command, and Central Command. Advertisement There will be an increased presence of security forces and aircraft in those areas, the IDF noted. The army said the drill aimed to “maintain the forces’ alertness and readiness, strengthen the ability to defend communities, and make full use of aerial capabilities for defense in the area.” Troops will practice “a variety of scenarios, including a surprise attack and infiltration into Israeli territory by air and land,” including implementing lessons learned from the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught, the military said. The IDF added that the drill was pre-planned and was not a response to concerns of a security incident. IDF seals homes of Hebron gunmen On Sunday, the military announced that troops sealed the homes of the two Palestinian gunmen who carried out Friday’s deadly shooting attack against soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron. The military said that overnight, troops operating in Hebron sealed the homes of Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba, who killed Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem and wounded three other soldiers in the shooting attack . Both gunmen were shot dead. Advertisement As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks. Sealing the homes of attackers is often a replacement or stopgap for demolishing them. In general, the demolition process takes several months, as the High Court must address appeals by the family, and security forces often wait for an optimal time to enter Palestinian cities or neighborhoods for the operation. The IDF said the temporary sealing of the homes was approved by Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, and that the military “intends to continue to advance the process of demolishing their homes.” IDF troops seal the Hebron home of one of two Palestinian gunmen who carried out a deadly shooting attack near the West Bank city, early October 25, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces) The army also said that troops apprehended 12 suspects overnight, seized “illegal vehicles,” and captured several weapons during the ongoing operations in Hebron. The raid in Hebron, focused on a neighborhood where the two gunmen lived and the area of the shooting attack, has displaced some 2,000 Palestinians, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz. Palestinian planning attack nabbed On Sunday afternoon, the military said that a Palestinian suspected of planning an imminent terror attack in the West Bank was apprehended by Israeli troops. The suspect was detained in the Ramallah area following intelligence provided by the Shin Bet. The IDF did not provide further details on where he was apprehended. The IDF said the man is suspected of planning an “imminent terror attack along a major road.” He was handed over to the Shin Bet for further questioning, the military added. Advertisement Palestinian home taken over by settlers set on fire Israeli settlers who took over a Palestinian home on the outskirts of Jalud in the West Bank clashed with soldiers on Saturday, according to the military and residents, during which the structure was set on fire under unclear circumstances. The military said troops were dispatched to Jalud on Saturday night after “the identification of Israeli civilians in a closed military zone in violation of the law.” “Violent rioters are residing in the area, which is in Area B, at an illegal outpost subject to a closed military zone order, from which violent and illegal acts have been carried out,” the military said. The soldiers acted to remove the settlers from the Palestinian village using riot dispersal means, and “a fire subsequently broke out at the site,” according to the IDF. הדיווחים על התנהלותו של מפקד פלוגה בגבעת נחלת הנבי״א בשומרון מזעזעים וחמורים ביותר. על פי המידע שהגיע אליי, מדובר במפקד פלוגה שאיבד כל רסן, ובמהלך אירוע שאמור להיות שגרתי הוצת ביתם של נערי גבעות, על רכושם האישי, זוגות תפילין וספרי קודש שהיו בתוכו. מפקד בצה״ל שמנצל את הכוח… pic.twitter.com/Kawrt38BZZ — לימור סון הר מלך (@limor_sonhrmelh) October 24, 2026 Elisha Yered, a key organizer of illegal settlement outposts, claimed that Israeli forces “burned a house with tefillin [phylacteries] and holy books” in the Jalud area. Advertisement The military said that the “circumstances of the fire are being investigated,” but that “given that the area is designated a closed military zone and the structure belongs to Palestinians, equipment owned by Israeli civilians should not be present there.” Jalud Mayor Raed al-Haj Mohammed told The Times of Israel that the house belongs to an East Jerusalem resident, and had been taken over by settlers in recent months. It is near the home of the Tubasi family, which settlers took over in July. According to Mohammed, residents of the village have been unable to approach the area recently due to the military’s presence. On Saturday night, residents witnessed clashes between soldiers and settlers at the site, during which soldiers also fired tear gas, he said. The army said that the presence of the settler “rioters” at the outpost in Jalud “diverts the attention of security forces from defensive activities and counterterrorism efforts and harms the population living in the area. “Security forces are working to prevent Israeli civilians from returning to the area, enforce the order, and will continue to act to maintain law and order,” the IDF added. The village of Jalud, south of Nablus in the West Bank, is pictured in a general view on September 29, 2026. (Zain JAAFAR/AFP) Elsewhere in the West Bank, Palestinian media outlets reported on Sunday that a Palestinian man was attacked by settlers while harvesting olives near the village of Ein Arik, close to Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent said the man, aged 50, suffered fractures and is in moderate condition. No further details about the incident were immediately available. Separately, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that settlers attacked residents of the village of Kafr Malik, also near Ramallah, with pepper spray while they were harvesting olives. Several people reportedly suffered respiratory issues and facial burns. Violence in the West Bank has soared since Hamas triggered the Gaza war with its devastating October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The last several years have seen near-daily incidents of violence against Palestinian civilians — including setting alight cars and houses, as well as physical assaults — by extremist settlers, almost none of whom have faced legal consequences thus far. Is our live election coverage important to you? Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Ex-Netanyahu confidant Lauder breaks years of silence, warns against PM’s reelection 2 Netanyahu: Israel should ready for global sanctions, use blockchain to circumvent them 3 IDF op in Hebron after soldiers’ killing displaces 2,000, Katz says; PM vows ‘big surprise’ for PA 4 2 soldiers killed in West Bank shooting; IDF believes Palestinian gunmen planned larger attack 5 After years studying Haredi Jews, Israeli researcher feels at home amid the Amish 6 Hungary’s abandoned synagogues are finding new life — and attracting new congregants 7 IDF launches major op in Hebron after two soldiers killed in shooting attack 8 ‘In three days, we can start writing a different story’: Masses at anti-gov’t rally demand Oct. 7 inquiry read more: Israel & the Region Israeli elections West Bank IDF Israel Defense Forces settler violence 2026 Israeli election lockdown If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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