Israeli forces demolish homes of Palestinians linked to Hebron soldier attack
Israeli troops razed the residences of two Palestinians accused of killing two soldiers in Hebron and detained at least 12 residents amid a broader offensive that has displaced nearly 5,000 people.
Israeli army engineers demolished the homes of brothers Ahmad and Hammouda al-Jaabeh in Hebron on Friday, eight days after the pair were killed following an attack on October 23 that wounded two Israeli soldiers and three others. The operation involved surrounding the buildings, sealing off the area and rigging explosives for at least nine hours before detonating them, according to Al Jazeera reporter Mohammed al-Atrash.
After the demolition, troops backed by drones moved into the site and detained at least 12 Palestinians who attempted to approach the area. > "Some of these Palestinians are still being detained up to this moment and we monitored live on air their abuse at the hands of the Israeli occupation army," al-Atrash said.
The Israeli military has cleared the Ein Deir Bahha neighbourhood, converting some houses into military barracks and command centres, while hundreds of families in the nearby al-Jalda area remain trapped. The Hebron municipality reported that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families have been displaced since the offensive began.
Israeli officials have indicated that demolition orders in Area C, the sector of the West Bank under full Israeli control, may be accelerated following measures approved by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Protesters, including women, children and older residents, gathered near the al-Jalda roundabout demanding an end to the siege and the right to return.
Raed Nairat, an academic specializing in Israeli affairs, described the operation as "collective punishment" aimed at breaking Palestinian resolve and suggested it served political rather than security objectives. > "It is effectively collective punishment, with the aim of breaking the Palestinians’ will and making him pay a price he cannot bear," he said.
Hamas characterized the forced displacement and demolitions as part of a systematic campaign against the Palestinian presence and called for urgent international action. Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in raids south of Tulkarem, and soldiers and settlers confronted olive harvesters near Bethlehem and Nablus. The intensity of military and settler activity across the West Bank and East Jerusalem has increased since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023.