Israel’s Hebron Offensive Displaces Over 2,600 Palestinians
(MENAFN) More than 2,600 Palestinians have been driven from their homes as the Israeli army pressed a major offensive in the West Bank city of Hebron for a fourth straight day Monday, with raids, closures and assaults on residents continuing.
Troops sealed every entrance to Hebron and the surrounding villages on Friday after a shooting attack killed two Israeli soldiers, and the blockade remains in place.
A local relief committee put the number of displaced Palestinians at about 2,649 on Monday. Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jabari told a news agency on Sunday that the army had forced out roughly 2,200 people and, since the operation began, demolished a three-story residential building and five commercial and industrial structures. The Palestinian Prisoner Society said Israeli forces have arrested 50 Palestinians in the city since Friday.
Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged Saturday evening that about 2,000 Palestinians had been forcibly displaced. He said they would not be allowed back until what he called “Hamas infrastructure” in the city is dismantled.
Reinforcements, Seizures and Restrictions
Local sources told the news agency that more Israeli forces and military vehicles entered Hebron around midnight through the Farsh al-Hawa entrance, while troops raided the city’s southern section near Jabal Karbaj. Reinforcements and heavy trucks reached the Al-Jilda area early Monday, where forces seized several Palestinian vehicles, the sources said.
Footage from the news agency showed Israeli forces stopping and searching Palestinians at checkpoints near the Al-Jilda Roundabout and mistreating a young man. Witnesses said additional troops also arrived in the Deir Bahha area and seized several Palestinian vehicles there.
Witnesses also reported that Israeli forces split a street in the Jabal al-Rahma area between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, restricting Palestinian movement.
Wider West Bank Violence
The Hebron operation comes amid intensified army attacks and settler violence against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023. These have included killings and arrests, demolitions of homes and other structures, and the burning of mosques and vehicles. They have also included bulldozing of farmland, blocking of farmers from their fields, displacement of Palestinian communities and expansion of illegal settlements.
Troops sealed every entrance to Hebron and the surrounding villages on Friday after a shooting attack killed two Israeli soldiers, and the blockade remains in place.
A local relief committee put the number of displaced Palestinians at about 2,649 on Monday. Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jabari told a news agency on Sunday that the army had forced out roughly 2,200 people and, since the operation began, demolished a three-story residential building and five commercial and industrial structures. The Palestinian Prisoner Society said Israeli forces have arrested 50 Palestinians in the city since Friday.
Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged Saturday evening that about 2,000 Palestinians had been forcibly displaced. He said they would not be allowed back until what he called “Hamas infrastructure” in the city is dismantled.
Reinforcements, Seizures and Restrictions
Local sources told the news agency that more Israeli forces and military vehicles entered Hebron around midnight through the Farsh al-Hawa entrance, while troops raided the city’s southern section near Jabal Karbaj. Reinforcements and heavy trucks reached the Al-Jilda area early Monday, where forces seized several Palestinian vehicles, the sources said.
Footage from the news agency showed Israeli forces stopping and searching Palestinians at checkpoints near the Al-Jilda Roundabout and mistreating a young man. Witnesses said additional troops also arrived in the Deir Bahha area and seized several Palestinian vehicles there.
Witnesses also reported that Israeli forces split a street in the Jabal al-Rahma area between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, restricting Palestinian movement.
Wider West Bank Violence
The Hebron operation comes amid intensified army attacks and settler violence against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023. These have included killings and arrests, demolitions of homes and other structures, and the burning of mosques and vehicles. They have also included bulldozing of farmland, blocking of farmers from their fields, displacement of Palestinian communities and expansion of illegal settlements.
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