Israeli army turns Palestinian homes in Hebron into military posts on second day of operation

Homes seized for military use

Israeli forces on Saturday, the second day of a military operation in the southern occupied West Bank, turned Palestinian homes in Hebron into barracks and observation posts, forcing residents to leave them. This was reported by the official Palestinian agency Wafa, citing sources. According to the agency, the military occupied homes in the Hallat Mannan and Dahiyat al-Zaytun neighborhoods in southern Hebron for use as barracks, while in other quarters residents were evicted from their homes and the buildings were used as observation points.

Evictions and road closures

The evictions began on Friday: hundreds of families were forcibly displaced amid large-scale raids and road closures and severe movement restrictions, Wafa reports. Near Bethlehem, Israeli forces blocked dirt roads leading to the town of Tuqu, and, according to Palestinian security forces cited by the agency, used tear gas and stun grenades against Palestinian cars traveling on detour routes. According to Wafa, the ongoing closures in Bethlehem and surrounding towns and villages have left residents only unpaved roads to move between communities.

Trigger and duration of the operation

Hebron and the nearby town of Halhul were sealed off on Friday after two Palestinians attacked an Israeli checkpoint. According to Israeli figures, two Israeli soldiers were killed and three wounded, and both attackers were killed by Israeli forces. The army announced on Friday that the operation could last several days and would include house searches, interrogations, and searches for weapons and 'terrorist infrastructure'.

Context and significance

Wafa notes that the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen an escalation since the start of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023 of Israeli military operations and settler violence — including killings and detentions of Palestinians, home demolitions, arson attacks on mosques and cars, plowing of farmland, denial of farmers' access to fields, and displacement of Palestinian communities amid settlement expansion. Editorial note: the seizure of residential homes for military posts and mass evictions directly affect residents of Hebron and its surroundings, for whom road closures amount to the de facto isolation of communities; the practical consequence for them is dependence on unpaved detour routes and an uncertain duration of the restrictions, since the army has not announced an end date for the operation.