Hebron Siege Enters Seventh Day

The Israeli military has maintained a strict lockdown of Hebron for seven straight days.

Forces continued raids and restricted movement in the West Bank’s largest city on Thursday. Two Palestinians were injured and seven were detained during the latest actions, according to Wafa news agency.

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and their vehicles in the Ras al-Joura area, located near the city’s northern entrance. The siege, which began the previous Friday, has closed all entrances and exits to Hebron. More than 3,000 residents have been forced to leave the city. Israeli troops converted several Palestinian homes into military posts and barracks, limiting access to critical services.

The campaign started after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near the settlement of Telem. Israeli forces later killed the gunmen inside Hebron. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on social media that he ordered security forces to close the city immediately. He stated, “We will act to destroy this place, to change it completely.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for a comprehensive military campaign in the West Bank, comparing it to operations in Gaza. A United Nations inquiry last year determined that Israel’s war in Gaza constituted a genocide. As the siege began, troops demolished dozens of Palestinian buildings. They also stormed the Ein Deir Bahha neighborhood, forcing families to flee at night with no belongings. Footage captured soldiers beating Hijazi Shawer, a 70-year-old shopkeeper and community leader.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that at least 110 people have been detained in Hebron since the raids began. This group includes three women and seven children. Israeli forces also isolated 12 villages and hamlets in the Masafer Yatta region. Residents and farmers in these areas are cut off from urban centers and markets, while patients requiring daily care cannot reach hospitals. Settlers uprooted more than 200 fruit trees and destroyed water wells east of Hebron.

Palestinian officials accused the Israeli government of using the operation to secure votes ahead of Tuesday’s elections. The human rights group Al-Haq stated that the siege violates international law and constitutes an international crime. B’Tselem described the military action as an act of collective punishment. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk noted that collective punishment is a grave violation of international law. Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs for the occupied West Bank, said the situation echoes the displacement of more than 34,000 refugees in northern camps in early 2025.