Around 2,000 Palestinians Displaced in Hebron After Israeli Military Operations
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Israeli forces sealed off parts of Hebron and demolished homes in the Ein Deir Baha district, forcing roughly 370 families from their homes ahead of national elections in what local officials describe as collective punishment.
Israeli security forces swept into Hebron, the West Bank’s largest city, after a gun attack on a military checkpoint killed two soldiers on Friday. The operation, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, targeted the Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhood and the nearby district of Ein Deir Baha, which officials claimed was linked to the attackers.
Within hours, the city was sealed off and bulldozers destroyed an industrial area in Farsh al-Hawa. In Ein Deir Baha, residents were ordered out of their homes, and the Israeli army said 370 families – about 2,000 people – left voluntarily. Local officials and residents reject that account, saying the departures were forced under military threat.
"Never, never, never. Why should I leave my house?" said Imam Fahed Ahmaro, who was forced to abandon his home after soldiers blocked the entrance and reportedly destroyed furniture.
"An intelligence officer told me if we didn’t go, they would displace us the same way they have done it in Gaza," said 77-year-old Abdul Halim al-Tamimi, who was given ten minutes to vacate his villa, which was later turned into a military headquarters.
The Israeli military described the displaced residents as members of the Jaba’a clan, which it said was associated with Hamas, a claim rejected by locals who say the clan has no known radical links and is being collectively punished.
By Sunday evening, all road access to Hebron remained blocked by steel barriers, restricting movement to pedestrians. A delivery driver said he was attacked by settlers near a checkpoint.
"It’s collective punishment," said Hebron mayor Yousef al-Jabari, accusing the operation of displacing civilians and restricting media access.
The sweep comes days before Israel’s national elections, in a period when the Israeli government’s response to security incidents is facing intense domestic scrutiny and criticism over the use of sweeping force against civilians.