IDF ends Hebron raid, 11 days after deadly shooting attack
IDF ends Hebron raid, 11 days after deadly shooting attack
Israeli forces have completed an 11-day operation in Hebron, which was launched following a deadly shooting attack at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the West Bank city.
During the attack on October 23, Hebron residents Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba killed Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, and wounded three other troops, before they were shot dead.
In response, the military demolished illegally built structures in the vicinity of the checkpoint and raided the neighborhood where the two gunmen lived to demolish their homes, while also operating in other areas in the city.
Palestinian media outlets publish footage showing residents of Hebron returning to their homes. An Israeli flag can be seen at the entrance to one of the houses, apparently after soldiers had been stationed there.
بعد حصار دام 10 أيام، وتدمير المنازل ونهب الممتلكات، قوات الاحتلال تنسحب من الخليل.
حصار وعدوان تخلله تهجير سكان نحو 540 منزلا ووحدة سكنية، تحويل المنازل إلى ثكنات عسكرية، وتدمير البنى التحتية والمركبات والطرقات، فضلا عن نهب المنازل والمخلات وتخريبها! pic.twitter.com/XrTTuf9XFI— ساحات ???????? (@Sa7atPl) November 2, 2026
The raid displaced thousands of residents. The IDF reported detaining dozens of suspects for questioning and capturing four firearms after scanning hundreds of buildings.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article says the raid displaced thousands, and it presents the raid as a response aimed at the neighbourhood where the two attackers lived. It never says that the army presented no evidence connecting most of the roughly 2,000 people it expelled to any crime, and that army sources could not say how many had any record. Without this, a reader believes the displaced were suspects rather than a whole extended family and neighbourhood forced from their homes.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post reported“though the IDF never presented concrete evidence of how most of the 2,000 evacuees could be connected to any specific crime”IDF ends controversial Hebron operation after days of terror probe ... (opens in a new tab)
- The Jerusalem Post reported“multiple IDF sources did not appear to have any specific information on the topic”IDF ends controversial Hebron operation after days of terror probe ... (opens in a new tab)
While the IDF has not issued an official statement, the military confirms to reporters that it has withdrawn troops from the neighborhood where the two gunmen lived, and wrapped up the operation.
It was reported last week that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there was no operational reason to continue the Hebron raid and that there was no legal rationale to keep Palestinians from returning home. Zamir reportedly recommended that Netanyahu end the operation just two days after it began, but the premier rejected the suggestion.
The Times of Israel Community.
Read the original article on timesofisrael.com (opens in a new tab)