Israel launches days-long Hebron operation; around 1,500 Palestinians displaced as West Bank stays under lockdown

Image: the Cave of the Patriarchs (Tomb of the Patriarchs) in Hebron. Photo: Dan Rosenstein / Unsplash (Unsplash License). Illustrative; it does not show this week’s events.

Israel’s military launched a major operation in Hebron, the largest city in the occupied West Bank, late on Friday, October 23, and by Saturday local officials said hundreds of Palestinian families had been forced from their homes. The army describes the operation as targeted counterterrorism that will last several days. It was announced hours after a shooting attack on Friday at a checkpoint near the city killed two Israeli soldiers.

What is happening in Hebron

The Hebron municipality told Al Jazeera that up to half of one neighbourhood raided overnight had been emptied, with at least 200 families forced out. The Times of Israel, citing the Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hebron’s governor, reported that about 1,500 Palestinians had been displaced since Friday and that dozens of families spent the night outdoors. The Hebron governorate declared a state of emergency.

Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari told WAFA that Israeli forces were seeking to move another 2,500 people out of two parts of the city. The army had not commented on those reported evacuations, according to the Times of Israel.

Al Jazeera reported that bulldozers demolished a three-storey building, that residents were given five minutes to collect their belongings, and that hundreds of families were ordered to leave the Ein Deir Bahha area. Troops also raided the al-Jalda neighbourhood.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the operation is “focused and limited to the area from which the terrorists operated.” Residents may leave through three designated exit points after questioning and security checks, and anyone who “raises suspicion” will be taken for questioning.

Lockdown and raids beyond Hebron

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a full lockdown of the West Bank on Friday, closing nearly 1,000 checkpoints and gates, according to Al Jazeera. He said troops would go house to house in the neighbourhood the attackers came from and promised “extensive waves of arrests.”

By Saturday morning, Israeli forces had raided at least 15 towns in the northern West Bank, including areas of Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, Qalqilya and Jericho, and detained dozens of Palestinians, Al Jazeera’s correspondents reported. No casualty figures from the raids had been published at the time of writing.

Reactions

The Palestinian Authority warned of collective punishment, and its foreign ministry called for international action “that goes beyond condemnation” to stop forced displacement, AFP reported. Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative said the closure turns every town into “a small prison.” A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about closures restricting Palestinians’ access to services and livelihoods, and the Israeli rights group B’Tselem warned the measures could amount to collective punishment.

Inside the Israeli government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the offensive to proceed as in Gaza, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the Palestinian Authority to be dismantled, according to Al Jazeera.

Context

The operation unfolds three days before Israel’s general election on Tuesday, October 27. The Times of Israel reported that the lockdown had been planned before the vote. Friday’s attack at the Yehuda (Judea) Junction checkpoint killed two soldiers and wounded three; the two suspected Palestinian gunmen were shot dead.

Pending: how long the operation will last, whether the further evacuation of 2,500 people is ordered, and casualty figures from the raids.

Sources

• Al Jazeera — Why is Israel launching a new military operation in the occupied West Bank? (Oct 24, 2026)
• Al Jazeera — Israel raids towns, detains dozens of Palestinians in occupied West Bank (Oct 24, 2026)
• The Times of Israel — Live blog, October 24, 2026

Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted writing