Israeli army tightens restrictions in occupied West Bank’s Hebron as offensive enters 9th day

The Israeli army tightened restrictions in residential neighborhoods of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Saturday as its military offensive entered its ninth consecutive day, witnesses said, Anadolu reports.

The offensive, which began Oct. 23, has displaced thousands of Palestinians, led to dozens of arrests and resulted in the demolition of homes and other structures.

On Friday evening, Israeli forces imposed a military closure on the Ein Deir Bahha neighborhood, raided homes and detained several young men, witnesses told Anadolu.

They said Israeli military vehicles entered the neighborhood before soldiers announced through loudspeakers that it had been designated a “closed military zone,” prohibiting residents from remaining in or moving through the area.

Footage shared by local media showed Israeli soldiers deployed throughout the neighborhood, warning residents against staying in the area.

Other footage circulated by media outlets, including the Quds Network, showed Israeli soldiers detaining Palestinians and forcing them to place their hands on their heads before taking them to an undisclosed location.

Israeli army demolishes Palestinian homes

Israeli forces demolished the homes of Hamouda Wael Mohammed al-Jaaba and Ahmed Bassam Mohammed Ashour al-Jaaba in the Ain Deir Baha area, according to local sources and witnesses.

The demolitions followed Israeli accusations that the two men carried out a shooting attack in the Farsh al-Hawa area west of Hebron on Oct. 23.

READ: More than 2,600 Palestinians displaced as Israeli army continues large-scale offensive in Hebron

Israeli occupiers attack Palestinians harvesting olives

Separately, five Palestinians were injured on Friday when illegal Israeli occupiers attacked a family harvesting olives in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of central Hebron, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

The commission said the occupiers beat the Palestinians, used pepper spray and threw stones before stealing their olive harvest.

It also reported that occupiers completely burned an agricultural room and equipment in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.

Palestinian farmers were prevented from working in the towns of Dura and al-Shuyukh, the commission added.

Since the beginning of the offensive, Israeli forces have imposed closures on Hebron and surrounding villages. They also seized homes in the Jilada and Ain Deir Baha neighborhoods and converted them into military barracks.

The offensive has involved forced displacement, demolition of homes and commercial properties, and destruction of infrastructure. Israeli flags were also raised over houses converted into military positions.

Nearly 5,000 Palestinians displaced

The Hebron Municipality said Tuesday that the Israeli offensive has displaced 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said Israeli forces arrested 110 Palestinians across the governorate between Friday and Wednesday. Military closures and the ongoing siege have also disrupted education at 66 schools, affecting 2,872 students.

Of those students, 2,198 remain under direct siege, while another 674 have been forcibly displaced and cannot reach their schools.

Displaced Palestinians have called for an end to the military closures and the lifting of the siege on their neighborhoods so they can return home and resume daily life.

READ: Israeli army declares Hebron neighborhood closed military zone amid raids