Israeli troops have levelled a neighbourhood in Hebron, driving out hundreds of families in collective punishment for a militant attack on an army checkpoint outside the West Bank city, local Palestinian authorities said.

The Hebron municipality estimated that 35 hectares (86 acres) had been destroyed or marked for destruction and about 1,500 people had been evicted from their homes by Saturday afternoon in the district of Ein Deir Baha. The whole city of 250,000 people was sealed off by checkpoints on every point of entry.

Netanyahu said Israel would “act to destroy this place”. Smotrich who is standing for election in a smaller coalition party, had himself filmed wearing body armour in front of a Palestinian building being demolished. He said he had ordered “the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site”.