3,171 Evicted From Hebron As Israel Votes
Military closures and settler attacks across the West Bank coincide with the national election week.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
At least 3,171 Palestinians from 488 families were forced from their homes in Hebron by Monday. This figure marks the fourth day of a military closure in the West Bank city. The displacement follows an order by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to isolate the area after gunmen killed two soldiers at a checkpoint on Friday.
Netanyahu stated that troops would operate house to house in the affected neighborhood. He declared, “We will act to destroy this place, to change it completely.” Defence Minister Israel Katz said residents would not return until the military finished dealing with Hamas issues in the city.
Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin reported that Israeli forces searched more than 500 homes. The governorate recorded 128 closed gates and 120 checkpoints that fragmented the city. More than 70 people were arrested during the operation. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society noted that the displaced group includes 127 infants and 81 pregnant women.
Financial Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered demolitions in the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood. Bulldozers razed a three-apartment building belonging to Riyad Amrish. A tile and ceramics factory and an auto-parts shop were also destroyed. The Israeli NGO B’Tselem described the operation as collective punishment that could constitute war crimes.
The siege in Hebron is part of a wider pattern of closures across the West Bank. In Masafer Yatta, the family of Yusuf Shanaran has been trapped for three weeks by a settler siege. In Umm Safa, a 1954 house received a demolition order with a deadline of November 11. In Madama, residents are emerging from a two-week siege of the village’s four entrances.
Settler activity intensified during the olive harvest season. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission counted 482 attacks on harvests by Sunday. These incidents occurred across nine governorates. The attacks included theft of olives, assaults on farmers, and the burning of trees.
In Burqa, settlers burned dozens of olive trees on Friday. In Immatin, 25 masked settlers destroyed equipment with tractors. In Berin, settlers fired live rounds at pickers. A bulldozer uprooted hundreds of trees in Madama. Soldiers posted notices in al-Mughayyir ordering the removal of hundreds of trees for a security buffer zone.
Israel released nine of the ten settlers arrested after attacks on a foreign journalist and diplomats last week. The release occurred while new attacks continued. Wafa reported 17 attacks on farmers on Thursday. The commission documented 21 incidents in the 12 hours on Friday.
Brad Lander, a U.S. Democratic congressional candidate, was among about 80 volunteers detained near Nahalin on Wednesday. He was released with a warning. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused him of harvesting headlines. The detention occurred as Palestinians faced restrictions at polling stations.
In Gaza, at least 37 Palestinians were killed in the last week. The Gaza Ministry of Health recorded 1,559 deaths since the October 2025 ceasefire. Flour stocks ran out in the territory, leaving only seven of 20 commercial bakeries open. A tray of eggs cost 60 shekels before crossings reopened on October 23.
