The Israeli military kicked thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank out of their homes and leveled them in retaliation for deaths of two soldiers.

Oct. 24 (UPI) -- The Israeli military kicked thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank out of their homes and began leveling them in retaliation for the Friday killing of two Israeli soldiers.

The razing began in the city of Hebron, which estimated that 86 acres had been destroyed or marked for destruction, and about 1,500 people had been kicked out of their homes by Saturday in the Ein Deir Baha area, The Guardian reported. The city of about 250,000 was cordoned off by checkpoints at every entrance.

The shooting on Friday at a military checkpoint left two soldiers dead and three injured in the West Bank. Israeli forces killed the suspected gunmen in the firefight.

"We are being collectively punished for something we neither did nor supported," Hebron civil rights activist Issa Amro said. "Our suffering is being turned into political material for Israel's elections, while innocent families pay the price."

Amro said his sister's family was forced from their home.

"We are talking about hundreds of families who left their homes because of this, and they are not at all connected to what happened yesterday [Friday]," Amro told The Guardian in a telephone interview. "It's a very big area, and we don't know what's going on, whether it is only election propaganda or if it's a serious plan from decisions on what to do after the election."

Israel's elections will be held on Tuesday.

Two of Netanyahu's competitors are now leading him in the polls, The Jerusalem Post reported. Gadi Eisenkot, leads Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with 49% support to Netanyahu's 41%. Another contender, Naftali Bennett, leads the prime minister 45% to 43%.

"We will pursue Hamas terrorists and those who sent them, wherever they are and at all times," Netanyahu said.

"We will evacuate the residents, we will go house to house, we will also confiscate the weapons there, and all terrorist infrastructures will be dealt with and destroyed," he said.

Riyad Mreish also lost his home. He said he spent decades working in Saudi Arabia to save to build it.

"This is not only collective punishment, it's election propaganda," Hebron Mayor Yousef Jabari told The New York Times. "Netanyahu wants images of displacement, destroyed buildings and repression to appeal to voters."

"I haven't slept a moment," Mreish told The Times. "I cannot comprehend what happened."

Wafa, a Palestinian news agency, reported that Israel plans to displace another 2,500 people, The Guardian reported.

Israel regularly demolishes Palestinian homes in West Bank areas, arguing that they were built illegally, The Times said. Palestinians argue that Israel almost never issues permits to Palestinians for construction, so they are forced to build without them.