Netanyahu says Israel has placed a security cordon around Hebron and Halhul in the West Bank

HEBRON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 23 October that Israeli forces had imposed a security cordon on the West Bank cities of Hebron and Halhul, according to posts on two Al Jazeera Telegram channels.

Both posts were published as breaking-news items and carried his remarks as made in Hebron. Zenga News has not independently verified them, and the posts give no further text of his statement.

What Netanyahu said

In a post on Telegram at 11:48 GMT, the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel said Netanyahu stated that Israel was enforcing a security cordon on Hebron and Halhul. It said he added that Israel was studying whether to extend the operation to other areas. The post did not name those areas.

In an earlier post, at 11:36 GMT, the Al Jazeera Arabic channel said Netanyahu told listeners the army had carried out a broad and forceful operation in the West Bank. According to that post, he said the army had not carried out one like it since the Six-Day War. The post did not say when the operation began or which units were involved.

What is not confirmed

The two posts are the only sources for this report. They do not say:

• when the operation began or how long it is expected to last;
• how many troops are taking part;
• whether there have been deaths, injuries or arrests, or what any figures would be;
• what restrictions the cordon places on movement in Hebron and Halhul;
• how Palestinian officials or residents have responded.

No official Israeli statement, military briefing or Palestinian response was included in the material available. The description of the operation's scale comes from Netanyahu as relayed by the Al Jazeera channels. It has not been confirmed by a separate source.

Background

The Six-Day War was fought in 1967. Netanyahu's reported comparison refers to that conflict. The posts do not give any further context for the comparison.

Hebron and Halhul are in the southern West Bank. This report will be updated if official statements or independent accounts become available.