Thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from their homes in Hebron as an Israeli military campaign entered its fifth day on Tuesday. The Hebron municipality reported that 4,969 individuals belonging to 780 families fled the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda areas following the launch of the offensive on Friday.
The municipality detailed that the displaced population includes 336 infants, 441 elderly residents, 216 pregnant and nursing women, 44 people with disabilities, and 312 individuals suffering from chronic illnesses. Local authorities attributed the exodus to the sweeping military operation, pointing to severe humanitarian repercussions for vulnerable groups.
The Israeli army sealed all entrances to Hebron and its surrounding villages on Friday following a shooting incident that left two Israeli soldiers dead. Video footage from the area showed soldiers stopping, searching, and mistreating Palestinian residents at military checkpoints near the Al-Jilda Roundabout.
Witnesses reported the arrival of fresh military reinforcements in Ein Deir Baha, where troops seized multiple Palestinian buildings and converted them into military posts. According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the army has detained 85 people across the Hebron governorate since Friday.
Military raids and closures expanded to other parts of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. Israeli forces blocked all primary entrances to Ramallah, including the Ein Sinya, Atara, Nabi Saleh, and Aboud checkpoints, alongside the Rawabi gate, while establishing extra checkpoints on alternative routes. In nearby Al-Bireh, soldiers converted a local home into a military post, detained four residents inside, and confiscated their mobile phones. Palestinian farmers were also driven off their land in Turmus Ayya north of Ramallah.
In the northern West Bank, troops raided Jenin’s eastern neighborhood, as well as Meithalun, Jaba, and Qabatiya, arresting at least six individuals. Other arrests occurred during a raid in Aqraba southeast of Nablus, and in Tulkarm governorate where soldiers stormed Qaffin. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated that Israeli settlers attempted to establish 21 new settlement outposts across the West Bank in September, including 10 in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate, while a new outpost was set up at the northern entrance to Al-Bireh overlooking the Al-Balou neighbourhood.
Separately, settlers set fire to three Palestinian vehicles in the village of Umm Safa west of Ramallah early Tuesday. Municipal chief Marwan Sabah stated that a group of settlers stormed the village around midnight and torched the cars. Confrontations erupted between local residents and the attackers, forcing the settlers to withdraw. Sabah said that Umm Safa has faced repeated assaults involving resident intimidation, vehicle arson, and land seizures.
