Hebron Cordon Spreads After Checkpoint Firefight
Israeli forces shut all entrances and cleared thousands from homes near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, where two soldiers died Friday.
By Alina Marshall ·
Yousef Jaabari, Hebron's mayor, said Israeli forces closed every road into the city on Saturday evening and pushed roughly 2,200 Palestinians out of their homes. "Hebron is now a disaster zone. The occupation has closed all entrances to the city. No one can enter or leave," Jaabari told Middle East Eye, calling the operation collective punishment for a shooting the day before.
The firefight occurred early Friday near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint west of Hebron. Two suspected Palestinians opened fire on Israeli troops; two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded. Israeli forces responded with the closures and removals that followed through the weekend.
Deir Bahala, al-Jalda and adjoining neighbourhoods lost residents, including elderly people, women and children, Jaabari said. The cleared ground spans about 330 dunams and holds more than 490 housing units. The Palestinian Information Centre counted at least 40 Palestinians detained on Saturday evening. Residents told Middle East Eye that soldiers gave families five minutes to leave.
Jaabari said the municipality arranged shelter for those displaced and opened a crisis hotline. "We are now monitoring every detail and have declared a state of emergency to meet their needs," he said. Social media video showed Palestinian truck drivers pulling goods from factories before demolition crews tore the buildings down.
Israeli forces also shut the Ibrahimi Mosque and removed its staff and custodians, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said. Jaabari reported no prayers are held there and that the call to prayer is barred. Unesco lists the mosque as an endangered World Heritage Site; Palestinians have administered it for more than 1,400 years.
Jaabari tied the timing to Israeli politics, accusing far-right members of the government of wanting 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".
Source: Middle East Eye
