Israeli Operation in Hebron Destroys Homes, Displaces Families
WHO:
NBC News - Palestinian businessman Riyad Mureish, 49, said Israeli soldiers gave his family minutes to retrieve valuables and identity documents before forcing them out of their home.
The Guardian - Israeli troops carried out demolitions in Hebron; local Palestinian authorities said the destruction displaced families.
The Guardian - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “act to destroy this place.”
The Guardian - Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had ordered “the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site” and called for a campaign “exactly like in Gaza and Lebanon.”
The Guardian - Hebron civil rights activist Issa Amro said families with no connection to the checkpoint attack were being collectively punished; his sister’s family was among those displaced.
Al Jazeera - Israeli rights group B’Tselem warned the planned offensive involved “collective punishment and acts that could constitute war crimes.”
Al Jazeera - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about West Bank closures through a spokesperson; UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Mayy El Sheikh criticized the restrictions.
Al Jazeera - National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the Palestinian Authority to be “dismantled.”
WHAT:
NBC News - Mayor Yousef al-Jabari said Israeli forces had sealed all entrances to Hebron, preventing people from entering or leaving, and that a key mosque had been forced to close.
NBC News - B’Tselem said approximately 240 Palestinian families were displaced from Hebron’s Jildah and ‘Ein Deir Bahah neighborhoods; soldiers occupied homes, raised Israeli flags on several buildings, and continued arrests and interrogations.
BBC - An Israeli official said plans for the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967 had been reviewed, but did not say when it might be carried out or whether it included the Hebron operation.
NBC News - Mureish said a court decree should have prevented demolition of his home, which he said was subject to a long-running dispute over construction permits; he said, “They demolished and took me out by force” and “No house, no land, no money, what can I do?”
NBC News - B’Tselem said about 240 Palestinian families were forced from homes in Hebron’s Jildah and ‘Ein Deir Bahah neighborhoods; soldiers took over homes, raised Israeli flags on several buildings, and continued arrests and interrogations.
NBC News - Israeli forces closed all Hebron’s entrances, according to Mayor Yousef al-Jabari, who said a key mosque was forced to close.
NBC News - Netanyahu said Israel would “destroy terrorist infrastructure” and “build the infrastructure for settlement.”
BBC - An Israeli official announced a review of plans for the largest West Bank military operation since 1967, without specifying when it might occur.
The Guardian - Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Israeli plans to displace a further 2,500 people.
Al Jazeera - Israel said the operation would also cover “dozens” of other areas across the West Bank.
Al Jazeera - The Hebron municipality told Al Jazeera that up to half of the neighbourhood attacked overnight had been forcibly displaced; at least 200 families were outside their homes.
Al Jazeera - The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said it had recorded 409 attacks by Israeli forces or settlers against Palestinian farmers, farmland, olive trees and agricultural equipment during October.
Al Jazeera - Israeli settlers stormed Yabrud and Al Mughayyir and grazed sheep on Palestinian agricultural land, damaging crops, Wafa reported.
The Guardian - Hebron municipality estimated that 35 hectares (86 acres) had been destroyed or marked for destruction and about 1,500 people had been evicted from their homes.
The Guardian - A municipality spokesperson said about 300 families had been evicted; some sheltered with friends and relatives, while community halls and children’s play areas were opened as shelters.
Al Jazeera - Israel announced a major “counterterrorism” operation involving soldiers, police and other security agents, with mass arrests, demolitions and forced displacement planned.
Al Jazeera - Israeli forces had raided at least 15 northern West Bank towns, including Nablus, Jenin, Tubas and Qalqilya, and arrested dozens of Palestinians.
Al Jazeera - The Palestinian Authority said more than 40,000 people had been forcibly displaced in the West Bank since the beginning of 2025.
WHERE:
NBC News - Hebron is the West Bank’s largest city, with approximately 320,000 residents.
Al Jazeera - Israeli forces closed seven district entrances to Hebron; one or two might allow unpredictable pedestrian traffic at times.
The Guardian - The demolitions focused on Ein Deir Baha in Hebron; checkpoints sealed the city, which has 250,000 residents.
Al Jazeera - Israeli forces closed seven entrances to Hebron; the Palestinian Authority described closures and displacement across the West Bank.
WHEN:
NBC News - Israel’s election was described as taking place on Oct. 27.
Al Jazeera - Israel’s election was scheduled for Tuesday; The New York Times reported that potential US-Israeli attacks on Iran would take place after the US midterm elections on November 3.
Al Jazeera - Israeli settlers assaulted European diplomats, including a French mayor, near Taybeh on October 17.
The Guardian - A checkpoint attack occurred on Friday; the demolitions and reported displacement were described as continuing by Saturday afternoon.
Al Jazeera - Israel said the operation would last “several days”; the article also reported raids by Saturday morning.
WHY:
NBC News - Mayor Yousef al-Jabari said Netanyahu’s intervention was intended to win votes by appeasing settlers; Netanyahu praised settlers as “heroic” and “an example to the people of Israel and to the state of Israel.”
The Guardian - The demolitions followed an attack by two gunmen on an Israeli military checkpoint outside Hebron. The gunmen were killed, two Israeli soldiers were killed and three were injured after a 20-minute gunfight.
Al Jazeera - Israel said the operation was a response to the checkpoint attack; Netanyahu ordered a full West Bank lockdown.
HOW:
The Guardian - Videos showed houses flattened across several blocks, soldiers marking houses with sprayed black crosses, bulldozers demolishing structures, and Israeli flags on a residential building reportedly commandeered as a temporary military headquarters.
Al Jazeera - Netanyahu said forces would go “house-to-house”; the operation included raids and bulldozer demolitions, with Israeli forces also closing roads using military vehicles, shopping trolleys and other objects.
(UPDATED October 25, 2026 02:18 UTC)
Israeli forces have sealed Hebron and demolished homes, displacing Palestinian families in an operation Israel says responds to a deadly checkpoint attack. The city’s mayor says all entrances were closed and a key mosque forced to shut. B’Tselem estimates about 240 families were driven from two neighborhoods, while the municipality reports hundreds of families evicted and homes flattened. Palestinian businessman Riyad Mureish says soldiers gave his family minutes to collect belongings before forcing them out, despite a court decree he says protected his home. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to destroy what he called terrorist infrastructure and build settlement infrastructure; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for demolitions and a campaign like those in Gaza and Lebanon. The UN voiced concern over closures, and B’Tselem warned of collective punishment. Israel has also reviewed plans for a major West Bank operation, without saying when it may begin.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 21:02 UTC)
Israeli forces have demolished homes and displaced hundreds of Palestinian families in Hebron, as part of a military operation Israel says responds to a deadly checkpoint attack. The Hebron municipality says about 300 families have been evicted, while B’Tselem estimates roughly 240 families were forced from homes in two neighborhoods. Palestinian businessman Riyad Mureish says soldiers gave his family minutes to gather belongings before removing them by force, despite a court decree he says should have protected their home. Israeli troops sealed the city’s entrances, raided homes, made arrests and closed a key mosque. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would destroy what he called terrorist infrastructure and build settlement infrastructure; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for demolitions on a broad scale. Rights groups and UN officials warned of collective punishment and criticized the restrictions. Israel says the operation will last several days and extend to other West Bank areas.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 19:04 UTC)
Israeli forces are demolishing homes and displacing Palestinian families in Hebron as part of a widening West Bank operation launched after a deadly attack on a military checkpoint. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and the two gunmen, while three soldiers were injured. Israel says the operation will last several days and extend to dozens of areas; troops have raided at least 15 towns and arrested dozens of Palestinians. In Hebron, authorities say up to half of one neighborhood has been displaced, with at least 200 families forced from their homes. Seven district entrances are closed, and local officials estimate 35 hectares have been destroyed or marked for demolition. Netanyahu vowed to destroy the area, while Smotrich called for demolitions on a scale like Gaza and Lebanon. B’Tselem warned the offensive could involve collective punishment and acts constituting war crimes.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 16:04 UTC)
Israeli forces have demolished homes and sealed parts of Hebron in a widening West Bank operation, displacing Palestinian families. The campaign followed a checkpoint attack outside the city in which two Israeli soldiers and the two gunmen were killed, and three soldiers were injured. Israel says the operation targets terrorism and will last several days; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a West Bank lockdown and said forces would search house to house. Hebron officials estimate that about 1,500 people have been evicted, while checkpoints have closed seven entrances to the city. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for demolitions on a scale like those in Gaza and Lebanon. Activist Issa Amro said families unrelated to the attack were being collectively punished. The UN expressed concern about restrictions, and Israeli rights group B’Tselem warned the offensive could involve war crimes.