Israeli forces turn al-Khalil homes into military posts amid lockdown
Israeli forces have seized Palestinian homes in al-Khalil for use as military barracks and observation posts after forcing residents to leave, as a sweeping military offensive, mass displacement, raids and movement restrictions intensify across the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces have taken over homes in the Khallat Manna and Dahiyat al-Zaytoun areas of southern al-Khalil, using them as barracks, while residents in other neighborhoods have been forced out so their properties can serve as observation posts, Wafa reported, citing local sources.
The takeovers come amid a lockdown imposed on al-Khalil and hundreds of military raids following an attack on an Israeli army reserve base on Friday, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.
Two Palestinian men allegedly carried out the attack and were also killed. The offensive has involved extensive raids, road closures and severe restrictions on movement, forcing hundreds of Palestinian families from their homes.
According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Israeli forces have detained at least 47 Palestinians across al-Khail since Friday and forcibly displaced 293 families, comprising approximately 2,200 people.
Those displaced include 127 infants, 81 pregnant women, 26 people with disabilities, 134 Palestinians with chronic illnesses and 265 elderly people over the age of 60.
The group also reported that Israeli troops had conducted hundreds of field interrogations, during which Palestinians were subjected to detention and abuse.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have begun establishing two new outposts on Palestinian-owned land in Yatta, south of al-Khalil.
Activist Osama Makhamra said that settlers had started setting up an outpost in the Khallet al-Fara area, west of Yatta. They pitched a tent, brought in bulldozers and excavation machinery, and began levelling and digging the land in preparation for construction.
A second outpost was established in the Yatta desert, on Palestinian-owned land between the villages of az-Zuweidin and Umm Qussa. Settlers pitched several tents and began installing infrastructure, including water and electricity networks.
Near Bethlehem, Israeli forces continued closing roads and entrances across the governorate for a third consecutive day on Sunday, disrupting movement in several towns and villages.
On Saturday, troops closed dirt roads leading to Tuqu in an apparent effort to block access. They also fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades towards Palestinian vehicles travelling along rough alternative routes near the town.
The latest military offensive, displacement and road closures come days before Israel’s general elections and amid heightened tensions across the occupied Palestinian territory.
The developments also coincide with a surge in settler attacks targeting Palestinian olive harvesters during the harvest season.
Reports of attacks and intimidation by settlers, alongside military offensive and movement restrictions, have raised further concerns about the safety of Palestinian communities and their access to homes and agricultural land.