Israeli forces kept Hebron under sweeping military restrictions for a second day on 24 October, forcing Palestinian families from their homes and conducting arrests across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that troops entered the Al-Jilda and Deir Bahha neighbourhoods before dawn, ordering dozens of families to leave their properties as soldiers surrounded residential areas.
The operation followed a shooting near Hebron on 23 October that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others, according to the Israeli military. Israeli forces subsequently killed the two Palestinian gunmen accused of carrying out the attack.
The Israeli military said its operation would continue for several days and involve searches for weapons and suspects. It described the activity as concentrated in the area from which the gunmen had operated.
The restrictions have left major roads into Hebron inaccessible to vehicles, disrupting movement between the city and surrounding communities.
The Associated Press reported that Palestinians were crossing military-controlled gates on foot while taxis waited on either side of the barriers.
One Palestinian mother, Reem Al Jiyawi, was attempting to take her 11-year-old daughter to a medical appointment in Dura. The closures prevented her from driving directly to the hospital, AP reported.
WAFA said Israeli soldiers searched homes, questioned residents and detained dozens of people during operations in Hebron. Some of those questioned were subsequently released.
In a separate report published on 24 October, the agency documented at least 13 arrests in Hebron governorate.
Anadolu Agency also reported that Israeli forces detained 19 Palestinians during raids elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, including 16 in Nablus governorate, two in Bethlehem governorate and one in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near Jericho.
Al Jazeera reported additional military raids across at least 15 towns in the northern West Bank, including locations in Jenin, Tubas and Qalqilya.
Demolition operations have accompanied the closures in Hebron.
WAFA reported that Israeli forces demolished a residential building containing three apartments on 23 October. Its account also described the destruction of commercial premises and damage to industrial equipment in the Farsh al-Hawa area.
The Israeli military said it was demolishing structures it considered potential security risks. Palestinian authorities criticised the measures as collective punishment, according to Israeli media.
WAFA also reported that Hebron's governor and mayor had discussed emergency arrangements to assist displaced residents and people stranded by the closures.
The latest restrictions follow months of Israeli military operations, settlement-related violence and growing movement restrictions across the occupied West Bank.
In a humanitarian update published on 19 October, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded five Palestinians killed and 246 injured by Israeli forces or settlers between 29 September and 12 October.
The UN agency also documented 244 settler attacks involving casualties or property damage during that period.
The Israeli military said its operation in Hebron was expected to last several days, while restrictions on movement and searches of Palestinian neighbourhoods continued on 24 October.
