Netanyahu Closes West Bank, Pressures Military on Iran as Israel Votes Under Nuclear Panic
Israel holds its first election since October 7, 2023, with Netanyahu sealing off the occupied West Bank and reportedly pushing for an Iran strike as polls tighten.
Israel held its first national election since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting for his political survival amid tightening polls, a sweeping West Bank closure, and reports of a confrontation with his military chief over Iran [271820][271264]. The vote is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership, though analysts caution against counting out the country's longest-serving prime minister, who has repeatedly returned from the political brink [271264].
Days before the vote, Netanyahu ordered a full, indefinite closure of the occupied West Bank and an immediate lockdown of Hebron following a shooting attack that wounded five Israelis on Friday [269206]. The Israeli military said its forces killed the two suspected Palestinian attackers at the scene [269206]. Netanyahu said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and security forces to "immediately seal off the city of Hebron and prepare for a total closure of the entire Judea and Samaria region," using the biblical name for the West Bank [269206]. Israel also announced it would close all land crossings between its territory and the occupied West Bank on election day, without saying how long they would remain shut [270811].
The army said soldiers and Border Police launched "counterterrorism offensive operations" in the Hebron area, operating inside the homes of suspects, with 70 wanted individuals arrested over the past week, some linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad [269206]. Netanyahu also said Israeli forces would demolish homes after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers in Hebron [269839]. Israel began a military offensive in the occupied West Bank in response to Friday's fatal shooting, with dozens arrested and hundreds of families forced to leave their homes, according to regional media [270527]. Human rights lawyers say the measures also target Palestinians with no connection to the attack and describe them as "collective punishment" [270840].
On the Iran front, Netanyahu reportedly pressured Israel's military to take action against Iran as his far-right coalition narrowly trails in the polls [271811]. He posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud destroying Tel Aviv and told voters to choose him or risk nuclear annihilation [271811]. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu and military chief Eyal Zamir are at odds over Iran, with Zamir reportedly fearing government instructions could trigger an immediate military escalation and demanding written authorization; Netanyahu denies any confrontation [271179]. A separate report said the army chief of staff asked for signed legal authorization to proceed amid military concerns that electoral motives may be driving the operation [271227]. Critics warn the escalation tactics could have catastrophic consequences [271691].
In Gaza, Palestinians are bracing for an outcome that could shape their future, knowing their fate rests with the country that has reduced much of the territory to rubble and killed nearly 75,000 people [270855]. Gaza has been largely absent from the election campaign, with nearly a million displaced Palestinians facing dire sanitary conditions, water shortages, and the constant threat of Israeli strikes, while rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Netanyahu both vow to end Hamas rule [270855].