Hebron Under Full Israeli Siege After Deadly Shooting, Mayor Says

Israeli forces have closed every entrance to the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and forced roughly 2,200 Palestinians from their homes, Mayor Yousef Jaabari told Middle East Eye on Saturday evening.

"Hebron is now a disaster zone. The occupation has closed all entrances to the city. No one can enter or leave," Jaabari said. He described the measures as collective punishment imposed after a deadly shooting the previous day.

According to the account of the incident, two suspected Palestinians fired on Israeli troops at a checkpoint early on Friday, near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint west of Hebron in the north of the city. Two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded.

The mayor said the evictions affected residents of Deir Bahala, al-Jalda and nearby neighbourhoods, among them elderly people, women and children. The area covers about 330 dunams and includes more than 490 housing units.

The Palestinian Information Centre reported that Israeli forces also detained at least 40 Palestinians on Saturday evening and demolished businesses and residential buildings as part of the continuing crackdown. Residents told Middle East Eye that soldiers gave families five minutes to leave. Videos shared on social media showed Palestinian truck drivers working together to haul goods and supplies out of factories before Israeli forces demolished them.

Jaabari said the municipality stepped in to find shelter for those displaced. "We are now monitoring every detail and have declared a state of emergency to meet their needs," he said. The municipality has also set up a crisis hotline for people seeking help during the evictions.

After Friday's shooting, Israeli forces also shut the Ibrahimi Mosque, an endangered Palestinian World Heritage Site recognised by Unesco, and removed its staff and custodians, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said. Jaabari said no prayers are being held there and that Israeli forces have banned the call to prayer.

The mosque is among the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and Palestinians have administered it and used it as a mosque for more than 1,400 years. In recent months, Israel has sought wider control over the site, adding restrictions that include barring Muslim worshippers, limiting the call to prayer and facilitating settler incursions.

The mayor also questioned the timing of the measures. He accused far-right members of the Israeli government of trying to "use Hebron and its Ibrahimi Mosque, its residents and their homes, as free election publicity for certain ministers contesting elections in the coming days".