Israeli army ends 11-day Hebron raid after looting and vandalising Palestinian homes

For 11 days, Abbas Mujahid imagined returning home. He had no idea when that might be. Israeli soldiers had forced him and his family of seven to leave the house in Hebron in the occupied West Bank last month. Their home is in the al-Jalda neighbourhood of Hebron, the focus of an Israeli military assault that began on 23 October and ended on Monday. During the attack, hundreds of Palestinian families were displaced by Israeli forces. Major roads and streets were closed, the city’s entrances sealed, and a total blockade imposed.

Commercial shops were raided, while industrial facilities were vandalised or demolished. The assault caused extensive damage to residential neighbourhoods, businesses and infrastructure. Hebron now faces the daunting task of assessing the destruction, clearing debris and reviving an economy brought to a standstill by the blockade. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters When Mujahid and his family finally returned, they found their home severely damaged and vandalised.

“We found all the wooden doors, as well as the main iron door, torn off their hinges,” he told Middle East Eye. “The gypsum decorative elements were completely smashed, the light fixtures broken, and our clothes and belongings scattered all over the house.” According to Mujahid, soldiers had also left human excrement throughout the house. Window frames had been ripped out, apparently in acts of deliberate destruction. 'My only ‘guilt’, the only reason my facility was demolished, is that I am Palestinian' - Iyad al-Qawasmi, Hebron business owner During their displacement, Mujahid had tried to prepare his children for the possibility that their home, particularly their bedrooms, might be badly damaged.

But nothing could spare them the shock of seeing the destruction first-hand. “I have begun bringing in workers to repair the house, its walls, and its doors, at a cost estimated in the tens of thousands of shekels. Yet, the very fact that we have returned outweighs any sense of the damage caused,” he said. The economic toll has been equally severe. According to estimates by the Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry, direct losses exceeded 12 million shekels a day (around $3.8m).

A total of 327 commercial and economic establishments were shut down, 15 facilities destroyed and around 1,350 people lost their livelihoods. The humanitarian impact was also substantial. On 30 October, Unicef reported, citing Hebron Municipality figures, that 483 families had been displaced by Israeli forces and restrictions on the city. They comprised 4,304 people, including 1,845 children. Heavy losses The military incursion came after a shooting by two Palestinians that killed two Israeli soldiers in Hebron.

The two Palestinians were also killed in the fire exchange. Israel has been accused of collective punishment with its response, which included mass displacement and demolitions. At least 15 homes and facilities were demolished, including three residential properties. Two belonged to the Palestinians who carried out the shooting attack. Destruction extended beyond demolitions, with private property, household possessions and the contents of commercial establishments also damaged.

Business owners and their employees were left facing mounting losses. Among those affected was Iyad al-Qawasmi, who owned a used vehicle parts business in Farsh al-Hawa, an area where several factories and commercial shops were demolished on 23 October. Israeli soldiers raided his three-dunum facility, which housed 600 used vehicles, and gave him one hour to evacuate before its demolition. When Qawasmi asked for a written demolition order, rather than a verbal instruction, soldiers told him an Israeli court had issued the decision and that he had to comply.

People check the damage after Israeli machinery demolished a Palestinian building near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, 3 November 2026 (Reuters/Mussa Qawasma) He said he had received no prior notice. Since opening the business in 2016, he added, the facility had never been raided, apart from one incident in which surveillance cameras were confiscated. Qawasmi brought in a bulldozer in an attempt to salvage what he could within the limited time.

But several bulldozers belonging to the Israeli army and settlers then entered the site. They seized at least 400 vehicles, along with other equipment. “On top of my losses, which exceed 2.5 million shekels ($790,000), they confiscated the vehicles and stole the property I had inside the facility,” he said. Days later, Israeli bulldozers returned and demolished the facility, reducing it to rubble. The destruction was so complete that the mountains of Halhul, previously obscured by the site, are now visible through it.

Qawasmi remains barred from accessing the land, leaving him unable to retrieve equipment or recover any belongings. The business employed at least ten people, all of whom supported their families. Its destruction has therefore cut off the income of ten households, affecting at least 70 Palestinians. “My only ‘guilt’, the only reason my facility was demolished, is that I am Palestinian. The facility is not even located near the site of the shooting incident,” he said.

The road to recovery Relevant authorities have begun surveying the damage, but rebuilding what was destroyed and restoring normal life will take considerable time and resources. Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari said the full extent of the damage to private property is still being assessed and documented. ‘We left with heavy hearts’: Israel’s assault displaces thousands in Hebron Read More » He said the destruction went beyond structural damage.

Residents had reported the theft of gold jewellery, cash and personal belongings, as well as broken doors and damaged household contents. “A government committee has been formed to assess these damages. Engineers are currently visiting the affected homes to conduct surveys and document the losses, in order to determine the exact scale of the destruction,” he said. Damage to municipal facilities and utility networks is estimated at around six million shekels (around $1.9m), al-Jabari added.

The losses include damaged streets, pavements, water and electricity lines, as well as municipal equipment, machinery and networks across the city. During the assault, the municipality managed the emergency through its response committee, staff and equipment. But restoring normal life and repairing the damage will take time. “Restoring the city to its normal state and repairing the damage it sustained will require at least a month,” he said.

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