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Israeli forces displaced around 1500 Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on October 24 2026 as part of an operation launched after two soldiers were killed the previous day according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin told AFP that troops began the action in the neighborhood linked to the attackers with no assurance it would not widen while terming the steps collective punishment. Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari placed the initial number of affected families at 250 and said dozens had spent the night outdoors after receiving evacuation orders over loudspeakers.
WAFA reported that more than 200 families were ordered to leave areas including Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa with homes businesses and roads demolished by bulldozers in the operation. Local activist Issa Amro stated that residents received minimal notice and in some cases were barred from taking vehicles while the Hebron governorate declared a state of emergency and established a crisis committee to aid those displaced. The municipality estimated that 0.35 square kilometres of urban land had been impacted with plans indicated to displace up to an additional 2500 people according to the mayor.
The Israeli military said the operation focused on the neighborhood where the two gunmen lived and would continue for several days while allowing civilians who requested evacuation to depart through three designated checkpoints after security checks. Both gunmen identified as Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba were killed in the Friday firefight at the checkpoint where three other soldiers were wounded according to IDF statements. The army added that the action targeted terrorist infrastructure and that anyone raising suspicion during screenings would face further questioning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the response immediately after the attack and said buildings in the gunmen’s neighborhoods would be destroyed while pledging an operation on a scale unseen in the West Bank since 1967 the Times of Israel reported. Defence Minister Israel Katz compared the planned measures to prior actions in Jenin and said entire clan neighborhoods affiliated with the attackers would be cleared. The developments occurred days before national elections as noted in multiple accounts from Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The Palestinian Authority called for international pressure on Israel to safeguard residents from the ongoing measures according to statements carried by AFP. Israeli rights group B’Tselem urged urgent global intervention to halt what it described as collective punishment that could constitute war crimes. Hebron with a population of approximately 250000 was placed under complete closure with all entry points sealed off as the military continued house-to-house searches.
Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari told WAFA that around 495 residential units housing 2500 residents in total stood at risk while forces had already seized some buildings for use as temporary barracks. AFP accounts described residents such as shopkeeper Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi being awakened at 1 am and told to leave until further notice with limited time to gather belongings. The two gunmen belonged to the Jaaba clan which Israeli assessments linked to Hamas though Palestinian officials contested the scope of the retaliatory measures.
