In brief
A group of Israeli forces demolished the homes of two Palestinian brothers in Hebron on Friday, following a shooting strike that killed two soldiers on Oct. 23. The action, part of an 8‑day operation, has driven hundreds of families from the Deir Baha and al‑Jalda districts and led to dozens of arrests and alleged abuses. While Israeli officials justify the demolitions as a measure to protect civilians, Al Jazeera reports the siege constitutes collective punishment, with many residents still detained and homes repurposed for military use.
On Friday, Israeli troops blew up the homes of Ahmad and Hammouda al‑Jaabeh in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, following a shooting attack on Oct. 23 that killed two Israeli soldiers. The incident marked the eighth day of a sustained military operation that has already displaced many families from the area.
The brothers, who were killed by Israeli forces after being accused of carrying out the Oct. 23 attack near the Farsh al‑Hawa checkpoint at Hebron’s western entrance, had their houses targeted by engineering units. Reports said the soldiers spent more than nine hours inside the buildings, rigging explosives before detonating them.
Israeli officials said the demolitions were part of a broader strategy to “continue to operate proactively and offensively” in order to thwart attacks in the West Bank and “protect residents in the area.” They emphasized the need to destroy structures that could be used for hostile activity.
According to the Hebron Governorate Emergency Committee, 537 families—equivalent to 3,361 people—have been displaced from the al‑Jilda and Deir Baha neighborhoods since the operation began. The committee highlighted the humanitarian impact of the ongoing siege.
Al Jazeera’s coverage, however, reported that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families had been displaced by the offensive as of the day of its reporting, with the city’s municipality noting the same figures in an earlier statement. The organization also underscored that Israeli forces had “fully emptied” the Ein Deir Bahha neighbourhood, turning some homes into military barracks and command centres.
Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed al‑Atrash, reporting from Hebron, said army engineers spent at least nine hours inside the al‑Jaabeh houses rigging explosives before detonating them. When residents tried to approach the site afterward, a large number of troops backed by drones moved in and detained at least 12 Palestinians. “Some of these Palestinians are still being detained up to this moment and we monitored live on air their abuse at the hands of the Israeli occupation army,” al‑Atrash said.
Some of these Palestinians are still being detained up to this moment and we monitored live on air their abuse at the hands of the Israeli occupation army.
He added that Israeli forces had arrested at least 120 Palestinians since the operation began and interrogated hundreds more. The reporting also noted that at least 13 businesses near the checkpoint had been demolished, and that Israeli officials had threatened to speed up demolitions in Area C— the part of the West Bank under full Israeli control— in line with measures approved by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after the attack.
In the wake of the demolitions, dozens of displaced residents—including women, children and older people—protesting near the closed al‑Jalda roundabout demanded an end to the siege and the right to return home. The protests reflected the growing frustration of communities that have been living in liminal spaces for days.
Academic and Israeli affairs expert Raed Nairat, speaking from Nablus to Al Jazeera, said the operation’s message had been clear “from day one.” He described the measures as “effectively collective punishment, with the aim of breaking the Palestinians’ will and making him pay a price he cannot bear, as a result of an act he may not have been consulted about and may not be content with.”
The cumulative effect of the demolitions, arrests, and detentions has left many families in a precarious position. The de‑rēwization of their homes and the conversion of some structures into military facilities have prevented the possibility of returning to safety.
While Israeli authorities frame the operation as necessary for security and civilian protection, sources from Al Jazeera and local emergency committees emphasize the scale of displacement and the continued presence of a heavy military presence, describing the situation as an instance of collective punishment rather than individual accountability.
