Netanyahu orders West Bank operation

Sealed off with house-to-house raids conducted by Israel's army, Hebron in the occupied West Bank is the target of this latest military operation. It's in response to a gun attack by two Palestinians, which killed two Israeli soldiers on Friday. The operation is expected to last a few days, and residents will only be able to leave through designated checkpoints and will face questioning and screening. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they will remove weapons and destroy terrorist infrastructure. However, it appears the gunmen acted alone, with no accomplices and were not linked to any organization. There's concern from the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory who accuse Israel of collective punishment, which is a war crime under international law. The UN Secretary General is also alarmed at the situation. The Secretary General is deeply concerned by the widespread closures imposed by Israel on Palestinian community in the West Bank. Those closures severely restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services and livelihoods. He's also concerned by the reports of home demolitions and possible displacements of Palestinian residents in Hebron. Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says he ordered the homes to be torn down in order to establish deterrence and exact a price. He claims the buildings were built illegally. Critics say, though, it's nearly impossible to obtain a construction permit from Israel. And it's a very heavy toll for ordinary Palestinian families whose homes have been destroyed. We were all shocked. Everything happened so suddenly. They didn't warn us. They didn't tell us there'd be a demolition or anything. They brought in the bulldozers at short notice. They kept coming in and the army arrived and told us to leave the house immediately or they'd start firing tear gas at us. So we all rushed out straight away. The Israeli government's actions in Hebron is yet another test for Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the country's general elections on Tuesday.