Hebron Operation Displaces About 1,200 Palestinians, Municipal Official Says

HEBRON, occupied West Bank — Updated October 24, 2026. Israeli military road closures have disrupted travel into and around Hebron, while residents have left several neighborhoods after a deadly shooting near the city. The Associated Press reported that up to 300 families had left Deir Baha and two neighboring areas, citing a Saturday morning tally from Hebron’s municipality.

The restrictions follow Friday’s attack by Palestinian gunmen near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded others, according to Israeli authorities and Reuters. Israeli forces killed two suspected assailants. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a broader military operation in the occupied West Bank.

Road closures disrupt civilian movement

On Saturday, AP journalists described taxis waiting at military gates while Palestinians crossed on foot. AP reported that the closures were affecting everyday journeys, including a family’s attempt to reach a child’s medical appointment. The Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported forced evacuations and road closures.

AP attributed the figure of up to 300 displaced families to the Hebron municipality. In a later October 24 report, Reuters quoted Hebron municipal head Yousef Zouhair Al-Jabari as estimating that around 1,200 people had been displaced and another 1,300 people faced losing their homes. These figures count people, whereas AP’s earlier figure counts families; neither is a final independently verified census. Reuters also reported that the Israeli military described searches for militants and weapons and planned demolitions, while the Palestinian Authority condemned the operation as collective punishment. The extent and duration of the restrictions may change as the operation develops.

What the Israeli military says

In its October 23 operational update, the Israel Defense Forces said it had begun a counterterrorism operation in the area linked to the attackers. The military described searches for weapons and suspects and said the operation was expected to continue for several days. AP reported that the army had not responded to its questions about the Saturday closures.

The operation comes days before Israel’s October 27 election. Security concerns are politically prominent, but the immediate effects on civilians — including access to healthcare, work and essential supplies — are a separate humanitarian issue.

What remains uncertain

Authorities have not provided a final count of households displaced by the operation or a timetable for lifting restrictions. Reports of closures and evacuations should not be taken as proof that every part of the West Bank is subject to identical measures.

Image note: The featured photograph shows an archival cityscape of Hebron taken on April 4, 2006; it does not depict the October 2026 shooting, military operation, checkpoints or evacuations. Photograph by بلال الدويك (Bilal Al-Dweik), via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. WordPress may generate resized/cropped versions; any adaptations remain subject to the license’s share-alike terms.