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Hebron residents displaced as Katz ties return to completion of operations

Hebron’s mayor said 2,200 people had been forced from their homes during Israeli operations, while Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged about 2,000 displaced residents. Katz linked their return to the completion of operations without announcing a date. The evacuations followed Friday’s attack that killed two Israeli soldiers near the city.

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Two adults walk downhill away from a stone home carrying travel bags, with densely packed pale buildings covering the hillside beyond.

Thousands are forced from homes without a return date

Israeli operations forced residents from their homes in Hebron, a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, on 24 October. Mayor Yousef al-Ja’bari put the number at 2,200. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged about 2,000 displaced people. These were separately attributed accounts rather than a final independent count.[1], [2]

Katz told public broadcaster Kan that residents would not be allowed back to their neighborhood until Israeli authorities had finished dealing with what he described as Hamas-related issues in Hebron. He announced no date for their return. The mayor said residents could neither enter nor leave the city.[1]

Palestinian authorities seek protection for displaced residents

The Palestinian Authority appealed for international pressure on Israel to protect residents. It characterized home demolitions, neighborhood evacuations and city closures as collective punishment. The authority’s statement called for the protection of people affected by the operations as restrictions on movement continued.[1]

Raids spread across the West Bank after the checkpoint attack

The operations followed Friday’s attack in which two Israeli soldiers were killed; the two Palestinian gunmen were also killed. Al Jazeera correspondents reported raids in at least 15 areas on Saturday. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said around 70 Palestinians had been arrested. UN Secretary-General António Guterres had expressed concern that closures restricted movement, basic services and livelihoods.[1]

References

  1. News sourceAl JazeeraHebron mayor says 2,200 people forced from their homes↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceThe Jerusalem PostIsraeli forces forcibly evacuate 2,000 Hebron Palestinians↩
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