Israel Demolishes Homes in Hebron After Deadly Attack

Two cousins, 27-year-old Mohammed Al-Jaaba and 23-year-old Ahmed Al-Jaaba, carried out a shooting attack near Hebron, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three others. Family sources revealed that Mohammed was married with two children and worked as a driving instructor, while Ahmed, who had previously been arrested and released in May 2025 after 20 months in Israeli prisons since August 2023, worked in a grocery store. The perpetrators belong to a family with alleged ties to Hamas, including their uncle Majed Al-Jaaba, a prominent figure exiled abroad after being released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. Several other relatives are also in Israeli prisons, accused of involvement in armed operations over the past 15 years, including the November 2023 "Tunnel" attack that killed one soldier and injured seven.

Following the attack, Israeli forces raided the perpetrators' family homes, conducting searches and interrogations, arresting four relatives, and causing damage. The families were verbally informed of impending widespread home demolitions. The Israeli military announced a multi-day operation in Hebron, beginning with demolitions in the "Farsh Al-Hawa" area near the attack site. This area, classified as Area C under Israeli security control and adjacent to a bypass road, is often subject to Israeli building and licensing regulations.

Rami Al-Junaydi, head of the union of workers in the Hebron municipality, stated that Israeli forces began demolishing a three-story building belonging to Riyadh Amresh, citing unlicensed construction. The demolition, which included destroying dozens of meters in the property's yard, was initiated shortly after the shooting incident. Residents reported that Israeli forces imposed movement restrictions, ordered the evacuation of dozens of homes and businesses, and confiscated surveillance cameras in "Farsh Al-Hawa," creating widespread anxiety.

Ahmad Abu Aisha, a local resident, described the scene as hundreds of residents and business owners rushed to move their belongings and goods, fearing destruction. The "Farsh Al-Hawa" area, a vital commercial hub and the sole entrance to Hebron from surrounding villages, serves over 850,000 Palestinians in the Hebron Governorate. Threats of demolition and evacuation were issued verbally by soldiers without written orders.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, acting as a minister in the Ministry of Defense, ordered the demolition of numerous buildings adjacent to the attack site, claiming they were built illegally. His office stated these demolitions would be completed before Saturday, potentially expanding the operation's impact to numerous properties in the vicinity.