Israeli forces convert Hebron homes into military posts amid lockdown
The Israeli military has repurposed Palestinian residences in Hebron as barracks and observation posts while imposing a lockdown and conducting raids that have displaced thousands.
Israeli forces have taken over homes in Hebron's Khallat Manna and Dahiyat al-Zaytoun neighborhoods, converting them into barracks, and have forced residents from other areas to vacate properties that are now used as observation posts, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The actions follow a lockdown imposed after two armed Palestinian men attacked an Israeli army reserve base, killing two soldiers; the suspects were also killed.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israeli forces have detained at least 47 Palestinians in Hebron since Friday and have displaced 293 families, roughly 2,200 people. The displaced include 127 infants, 81 pregnant women, 26 people with disabilities, 134 individuals with chronic illnesses and 265 elderly residents over 60 years old. The group also reported that troops carried out numerous field interrogations, which it described as involving detention and abuse.
In the nearby town of Yatta, Israeli settlers have established two new outposts on land claimed as Palestinian-owned. Activist Osama Makhamra told Wafa that settlers set up a tented outpost in the Khallet al-Fara area, brought in bulldozers and excavation equipment, and began leveling the site for construction. A second outpost was reported in the Yatta desert area, between the villages of az-Zuweidin and Umm Qussa, where tents were pitched and infrastructure such as water and electricity networks was installed.
Near Bethlehem, Israeli forces continued to close roads and block entrances across the governorate for a third consecutive day, affecting several towns and villages. On Saturday, troops shut down dirt roads leading to Tuqu, using tear-gas canisters and stun grenades to deter Palestinian vehicles traveling on alternative routes.