West Bank24 October, 20263 min read
MapIsraeli Forces Force Dozens Of Palestinian Families To Evacuate Homes In Hebron
2 Other1 West AsianMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Dozens of families forced to evacuate homes in Jalda and Ain al-Dair Buha, Hebron. Israeli forces launched a multi-day counterterrorism operation in Hebron and West Bank.
3 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Israel Launches Major Hebron Operation After Shooting Kills Two Soldiers, Netanyahu Orders House-to-House →
www.haaretz › Israel News › Israel Security was read line by line by the Watchdog: 4.9. See the score →
Hebron raids and evacuations
Israeli occupation forces forced dozens of Palestinian families to evacuate their homes in the Jalda and Ain al-Dair Buha areas of Hebron, in the southern occupied West Bank, and set three exits for residents after an armed attack on a military checkpoint west of the city on Friday. The army said the military operation would continue for several days, and it described the operation as focusing on the area from which the attackers emerged, including broad searches for weapons and what it called “terror infrastructure,” and questioning dozens of suspects. The operation included earth-moving equipment demolishing a three-apartment residential building in the Farsh al-Hawa area west of the city, along with commercial establishments and industrial facilities, including a tile and ceramics factory and an auto parts shop, clearing about 7 dunams.
The Israeli army also announced that it imposed a lockdown on the cities of Hebron and Halhul, and it said the operation came as a continuation of measures begun on Friday. Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that Israeli forces raided 15 towns and cities in the West Bank and arrested a number of Palestinians, while the army said it was conducting operations at dozens of sites across the West Bank.
Lockdown after shooting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the IDF "to immediately impose a lockdown on Hebron and prepare for a full lockdown of the entire West Bank," starting Friday, after a shooting attack near Hebron left five Israelis wounded, two critically. The IDF said it killed the two Palestinians assailants after a brief manhunt, and it launched raids on the Hebron area with a full siege imposed on the city and other nearby villages. The assailants were identified as Firas and Hamouda al-Jaaba, residents of Hebron, and the Israeli military said they were armed with an M4 rifle and a handgun.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said during a situational assessment that a large quantity of ammunition was found in the vehicle used by the assailants, which he said was intended for a larger-scale attack. Zamir added that "The troops' swift action prevented an even more serious attack and further casualties among civilians and security forces," and he instructed the military to prepare to deploy additional forces to the West Bank as needed.
Operation scope and political stakes
The Israeli army said its multi-day operation in Hebron involved the participation of the General Security Service (Shin Bet), the Border Police, and the Civil Administration, and it focused on removing what it described as “illegal infrastructures” near the clash site. The army said the operation aimed to restore the security situation in the area, and it linked the move to a continuation of measures begun on Friday, including imposing a lockdown on Hebron and Halhul and a survey of the two attackers’ homes in preparation for their demolition. Hebron Municipality announced activating a comprehensive emergency plan, preparing shelter centers to receive displaced families, operating a 24-hour operations room, and mobilizing water, electricity, and services crews, confirming it remains in permanent session until the crisis is resolved.
Hamas praised the attack in a statement issued Friday, and the IDF said Israeli forces in the West Bank launched raids on the Hebron area with troops operating in the homes of the assailants and other suspects. In a separate political escalation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel's opposition leaders would bear responsibility for any future attack on the country, accusing them of undermining national deterrence by criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warnings of a potential attack around Election Day.