West BankHebron
Nearly 4,000 Palestinians forced from their homes in Hebron after checkpoint attack
Israeli forces sealed the Ein Deir Baha and al-Jilda neighbourhoods, went house to house and began demolitions. The prime minister vowed to change the area completely.

Israel's operation in Hebron, launched after two soldiers were killed at a checkpoint on 23 October, had displaced about 3,971 Palestinians by Monday, according to WAFA.
Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint near Hebron on Friday 23 October, killing two soldiers and wounding three. Both gunmen were killed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would lock down Hebron, search house to house and demolish homes. A Reuters reporter saw bulldozers begin demolishing homes near the shooting site; residents said the homes had no link to the attackers.
By Monday, WAFA counted about 3,971 people displaced, including around 200 children under two, 258 elderly people and 137 pregnant women. A local relief committee said 619 families were affected and 266 had no safe place to stay.
Hebron's governor said Israeli authorities had set up 128 gates and 120 checkpoints across the governorate. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club reported more than 80 arrests.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said residents would not return until Israel had finished dealing with Hamas in Hebron. Israel said it needed to demolish civilian infrastructure so militants could not use it.
Contextlayer 1
Netanyahu and Katz compared the operation to the 2025 demolitions in northern West Bank refugee camps, which expelled tens of thousands of people and which Human Rights Watch said amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Source: France 24
Numberslayer 2
Voiceslayer 3
We will act to destroy this place, to change it completely.Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister · France 24
raise grave concerns about ethnic cleansing and collective punishmentMedical Aid for Palestinians, UK charity · The New Arab
What nextlayer 4
The IDF said the operation would last several days; Israel has given no date for residents to return.
Source: France 24
Sources
- France 24, 23 Oct 2026
- The New Arab, 26 Oct 2026
- UN News, 26 Oct 2026
Every figure and quote above links to where it was published. Something wrong? Corrections.


