Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of more than 3,000 residents from two Hebron neighborhoods following a shooting attack that killed two soldiers, according to Dagbladet.
In the course of the ten-day military operation, several houses were completely destroyed alongside the arrests of dozens of individuals, as reported by Haaretz.
The military operation began around midnight on October 24, roughly 12 hours after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others at a military checkpoint outside the West Bank city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed an extensive military sweep following the checkpoint attack, stating that authorities would act to completely alter the area. The operation lasted for ten days before Israeli forces withdrew on a Monday. Hebron Mayor Yousef Al Jabari told the Washington Post on a Tuesday that several homes and five businesses are destroyed, including the residences of the two attackers.
During the ten-day sweep, residents like Ruba Sultan and her family lived in uncertainty with relatives elsewhere in the city. Sultan described watching her three-year-old son, Karim, stand in the dark with his hands in the air facing soldiers during the midnight clearance. When Dagbladet met the family later, both she and her children were back at their respective schools again.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk characterized the military operation as collective punishment, calling it a serious violation of international law. Local officials in Hebron reported that multiple homes and five businesses were destroyed during the sweep, including the residences of the two attackers.
Human rights activist Issa Amro stated that the operation exceeded proportional measures and that checkpoints across the West Bank aim to pressure Palestinians to leave. Residents returning home found some neighboring apartments damaged or used as temporary military quarters.
Daily economic pressures compound the security crisis for local families. Ruba Sultan, a middle school teacher, reported receiving no salary because Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich withheld collected tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority.
Engineer Baher Sultan urged international intervention rather than financial aid, emphasizing that the community wants to live as dignified human beings in peace. The military operation concluded with Israeli forces withdrawing and local schools reopening, leaving residents to cope with emotional exhaustion.
The operation began with midnight evacuation orders on October 24 following a shooting attack on October 23, and concluded when Israeli forces withdrew after ten days.
Over 3,000 Palestinian residents were forced to evacuate their homes in the areas surrounding the checkpoint where the soldiers were killed.
Hebron officials and local residents reported that several homes and five businesses were destroyed, while numerous neighboring apartments sustained damage or were occupied by soldiers during the ten-day operation.