Israel's Hebron operation displaces Palestinian families; West Bank crossings to close on election day
After a gun attack killed two Israeli soldiers in Hebron on Friday, the Israeli army launched a large operation in the city, moving families out of their homes and restricting movement. Estimates of the number displaced range from about 1,000 to 2,670. Israel will close land crossings into the West Bank on election day.
Left 2 · Centre-left 11 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 4 · Right 3
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Displacement and collective punishment: 'nearly 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron displaced' (Guardian); 'two hours to leave' (Haaretz).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Israel to close all West Bank land crossings on election day” (France 24); “Israel presses ahead with West Bank operation as election approaches” (The Hill).
Right-leaning outlets
A response to a deadly attack: Israeli forces 'displace Hebron families after deadly attack' (Breitbart); the Telegraph reports a military lockdown on the West Bank.
Context
The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.
Hebron is the West Bank's largest city and one of its most contested.
- Hebron, about 30 km south of Jerusalem, has about 200,000 people in the city and over 700,000 in the governorate. It is home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Hebron
- On 23 October 2026, after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in Hebron, Netanyahu announced a 'full lockdown' of the West Bank. Wikipedia says the operation displaced at least 2,200 Palestinians and that at least 70 people were arrested in raids elsewhere. 2026 West Bank lockdown
Checked 2026-10-26. Links were opened and returned a page that day.
Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 3
Centre 3
- BBC News
Palestinian families displaced as Israeli forces demolish Hebron homes - The Hill
Israel presses ahead with West Bank operation as election approaches - France 24
Israel to close all West Bank land crossings on election day (paywalled or blocks bots)
Showing 3 from each side of 24 rated outlets (L 13 / C 4 / R 7). More coverage
Video
News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.
Left 0
No left-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
Centre 0
No centre-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
Right 0
No right-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
No rated outlet video found yet.
YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts
Deep dive
The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.
Seen from the left
“Why is Israel launching a new military operation in the occupied West Bank?” Al Jazeera
A possible reading: collective measures falling on civilians who were not involved in the attack.
May be protecting: Palestinian civilians and their homes.
Seen from the right
“Israel to close West Bank crossings before elections amid military operation” CBS News
A possible reading: a necessary hunt for the gunmen and their network after soldiers were killed.
May be protecting: Israeli soldiers and civilians after the attack.
What they agree on
After a gun attack killed two Israeli soldiers in Hebron on Friday, the army launched a large operation in the city, moving families out of their homes and restricting movement. Israel will close land crossings into the West Bank on election day. Both sides report the attack and the displacement.
Where they truly differ
The number displaced: about 1,000 (Jerusalem Post), nearly 2,000 (Guardian), 2,670 (Palestinian Authority). Residents quoted by Haaretz call it collective punishment; the army describes a counter-terror operation.
The paradox
An operation presented as protecting Israelis is described by those displaced as making the area less safe.
Open questions
- How many people are displaced, and when can they return? Estimates differ widely.
- What do the army and Palestinian officials each say about the operation's aims and duration?
- Shared question: what security steps work without moving civilians out of their homes?
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (25 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Haaretz | Left | According to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source |
| Morning Star | Left | The Morning Star is owned by the People’s Press Printing Society, a cooperative that readers can join. Revenue is derived through subscription fees, advertising, print sales, and donations. source |
| Al Jazeera | Centre-left | Al Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source |
| Associated Press | Centre-left | The Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source |
| Deutsche Welle | Centre-left | The German government funds Deutsche Welle (DW). They state, “DW is financed via funding from the state – i.e., from tax revenue. This is in contrast to the domestic public channels, which are funded via broadcasting fees.” source |
| Euronews | Centre-left | Euronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source |
| Middle East Eye | Centre-left | The Middle East Eye lacks transparency as it does not easily provide ownership information. The website requires that you find ownership information on their Terms and Conditions page, which indicates M.E.E Ltd is the owner. The website also does not indicate that Jamal Bessasso is the owner of M.E.E Ltd. source |
| Politico | Centre-left | On 8/26/2021, German publisher Axel Springer purchased Politico for a reported 1 billion dollars. Axel Springer owns numerous publications, including Bild, Business Insider, and Fakt. Politico has a subscription-based service called Politico Pro, launched in 2010 for professionals, such as lobbyists and analysts, which provides policy intelligence coverage on technology, energy, and other sectors. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| The National (Scotland) | Centre-left | The National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source |
| Times of Israel | Centre-left | The Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source |
| Washington Post | Centre-left | In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source |
| BBC News | Centre | The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source |
| France 24 | Centre | France 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| CBS News | Centre-right | CBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source |
| Jerusalem Post | Centre-right | In 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Washington Times | Centre-right | Operations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |
| Newsmax | Right | Newsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source |
| The Telegraph | Right | Telegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source |
| i24NEWS | Not rated | No ownership data found |