HEBRON: Nearly 5,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes as the Israeli army continues a large-scale military offensive in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron for a fifth consecutive day, according to the Hebron municipality.
In a statement, the municipality said 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families had been forced to leave the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda areas since the military campaign began on Friday.
The displaced population includes 336 infants, 441 elderly people, 216 pregnant and nursing women, 44 people with disabilities and 312 people suffering from chronic illnesses.
The municipality warned that the displacement was creating growing humanitarian challenges, particularly for vulnerable residents who require medical attention and specialised care.
Movement Restrictions and Arrests in Hebron
The Israeli army has closed entrances to Hebron and surrounding villages since Friday, following a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers.
Footage published by Anadolu showed Palestinians being stopped and searched at military checkpoints near Al-Jilda Roundabout, with reports of mistreatment by Israeli forces.
Witnesses said additional military reinforcements had arrived in the Ein Deir Baha area, where Israeli forces had taken over several Palestinian buildings and converted them into military positions.
According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society, Israeli forces have arrested 85 Palestinians across Hebron governorate since Friday.
The military operations have also included repeated raids on the town of Taffuh and searches of homes belonging to former prisoners. Local sources further reported that Israeli troops assaulted a Palestinian man in the Hawara area south of Hebron before arresting him and his son.
Raids and Checkpoints Across the West Bank
Israeli forces have also carried out raids and arrests in several other parts of the occupied West Bank.
In the northern West Bank, troops raided eastern Jenin and the towns of Meithalun, Jaba and Qabatiya, arresting at least six Palestinians, according to local sources.
A Palestinian man was also detained during a raid on Aqraba, southeast of Nablus. In Tulkarm governorate, Israeli forces entered the southern Al-Hawouz area of Qaffin and raided a house in the town’s western neighbourhood.
In the central West Bank, Israeli forces closed major entrances to Ramallah, including the Ein Sinya and Atara checkpoints, the Rawabi gate, and the Nabi Saleh and Aboud gates. Additional checkpoints were established on alternative roads.
In nearby Al-Bireh, troops reportedly converted a Palestinian home into a military post, detained four residents inside and confiscated their mobile phones.
Palestinian farmers were also expelled from their land in Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah, while Israeli forces raided Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem, using tracked military vehicles.
Palestinian Vehicles Set Ablaze in Umm Safa
Separately, Israeli settlers reportedly set fire to three Palestinian vehicles early Tuesday in the village of Umm Safa, west of Ramallah.
Marwan Sabah, the village’s municipal chief, told Anadolu that a group of settlers entered the village around midnight and set the vehicles ablaze.
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“Confrontations broke out between residents and the attackers, forcing the occupiers to withdraw,” Sabah said.
He added that Umm Safa had repeatedly experienced attacks involving assaults on residents, vehicle arson, intimidation and harassment. He also said settlers had seized large areas of the village’s land.
New Settlement Outpost Reported Near Al-Bireh
The Palestinian Bedouin rights group Al-Baidar reported that Israeli settlers had established a settlement outpost near the northern entrance to Al-Bireh, overlooking the Al-Balou neighbourhood.
According to the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, settlers attempted to establish 21 new settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank in September, including 10 in Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate.
The latest incidents come amid intensified Israeli military raids, movement restrictions and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
The continuing displacement in Hebron and the wider wave of military operations have raised further concerns about civilian safety, access to essential services and the humanitarian consequences for Palestinian communities.
