Israel Continues Hebron Siege, Forcibly Displacing Hundreds of Families

Israeli occupation forces continued their military aggression and blockade on the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank for the third consecutive day on Sunday. The operation involves closing roads and entrances, raiding homes, demolishing buildings and commercial establishments, and forcing hundreds of families to evacuate their homes. The Israeli military announced that the operation could last several days. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) urgently appealed to the Israeli army on Sunday morning to halt the forced displacement of residents, ensure their immediate and safe return, and lift the siege on the city and its surrounding towns. ACRI warned that the Israeli measures constitute collective punishment, which is prohibited under international law.

Israeli forces raided towns and areas including Halhul, As-Samu, Idna, Tarqumiya, and the Sincer area, as well as the southern part of Hebron city. They searched numerous homes, conducted searches in residential neighborhoods, detained citizens, and subjected them to field interrogations. In As-Samu, forces raided several homes, and in Idna, they searched a house. Raids continued in Tarqumiya and the Sincer area. Additional military reinforcements were deployed to the Ain Deir Bahah area in Hebron. Forces stormed Salam Street, raided a residential building, and confiscated a motorcycle during a widespread raid on the city. The occupation forces imposed a broad closure on Hebron and its surroundings, isolating the city from neighboring villages and towns by establishing military checkpoints and blocking roads. Earth berms and concrete blocks were placed on several roads, restricting the movement of Palestinians and their vehicles.

Raids extended to the towns of Dura, Halhul, Beit Ummar, Bani Naim, and Surif, as well as the Al-Fawwar and Al-Aroub refugee camps. During the night, occupation forces raided the Karisa area in Dura, raiding homes, including the home of the father of prisoner Ibrahim Al-Rajab. They also arrested Thair Taysir after beating him in the village of Sama, west of Dura. Several citizens suffered from suffocation due to gas inhalation fired by the forces near the Sudd Al-Fahs, south of Hebron.

Since the operation began last Friday, occupation forces have forced approximately 1,500 people from about 250 families to evacuate their homes in the Deir Bahah and Al-Jaldah areas. Palestinian estimates suggest a plan to displace an additional 2,500 people from these areas, which comprise about 500 families and cover an area of approximately 350 dunams. The Hebron Governorate reported that the aggression led to the displacement of over 200 families left without shelter, while other families were forced to spend the night outdoors. According to Palestinian reports, occupation forces marked evacuated homes and issued notices demanding other families leave without their vehicles. The Mayor of Hebron, Yousef Al-Jaabari, stated that occupation forces aim to displace about 2,500 citizens from the Deir Bahah and Al-Jaldah areas, noting that they marked evacuated homes and issued departure notices to remaining families.

In parallel with the displacement operations, occupation forces continued to demolish buildings and commercial establishments in Hebron. They demolished a residential building containing three apartments in the Farsh Al-Hawa area, west of the city, along with commercial facilities and shops. Forces also seized homes and converted them into military sites and barracks. The Israeli military and the Shin Bet announced that the military operation, which began Friday after a shooting targeting a military checkpoint near Hebron, could last several days, with ongoing military restrictions and threats to expand operations in and around the city.

Governor of Hebron, Khaled Doudin, stated that the Israeli aggression caused the displacement of over 200 families and called for urgent international and legal intervention to stop the violations and ensure the protection of residents. He explained that the Governorate, in cooperation with official and civil institutions and tribal communities, is forming a unified crisis cell to identify the needs of affected families and provide necessary assistance, following the declaration of a state of emergency. The Hebron Municipality also declared a state of emergency and opened shelters for displaced families. An emergency meeting was held with representatives from official and civil institutions and relevant parties to discuss the repercussions of the aggression and ways to respond to growing humanitarian needs.

ACRI warned that the siege on Hebron and its surrounding towns paralyzes daily life for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, hindering their access to workplaces, schools, and medical facilities. They emphasized that road closures and obstruction of ambulance movement could endanger patients' lives amid restrictions on population movement and the isolation of communities. ACRI stressed that international law prohibits collective punishment and forced displacement of protected populations, except in specific cases not applicable to the situation in Hebron. The association demanded that the Israeli army immediately cease these measures, ensure the return of families to their homes, and disclose the orders upon which the siege, evacuations, and demolitions were based. ACRI quoted attorney Ruchie Schaeffer, who prepared the appeal, stating that any security incident does not grant the army the right to punish an entire city. She considered the displacement of families, demolition of their property, and road closures to hold residents accountable for individuals' actions as prohibited collective punishment. Schaeffer added that the army must immediately stop these violations and ensure the return of the displaced, asserting that the current measures are not justified by the security considerations announced by the occupation.