The Israeli military has withdrawn from a residential neighborhood in Hebron following a siege, home demolitions, and a legal petition. The operation, which displaced thousands of Palestinian residents, began after a fatal October 23 shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers at a junction near the city.
Yehuda Brigade Operations and Home Demolitions in Hebron
The military operation began on October 23, 2026, hours after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at an Israeli military checkpoint in the Farsh al-Hawa area, killing two soldiers from the Search and Rescue Brigade and wounding three others. The two gunmen were shot and killed during the exchange of fire, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Following the attack, the Israeli military imposed a closure on Hebron and brought in engineering units to the Deir Baha and al-Jilda neighborhoods. On October 30, Israeli forces blew up the homes of Hamouda Wael Mohammed al-Jaaba and Ahmed Bassam Mohammed Ashour al-Jaaba, whom the military accused of carrying out the shooting. Yehuda Brigade Commander Col. Dotan Malul noted the completion of the eight-day counterterrorism operation in radio communications released by the IDF.
On the eve of Shabbat, after eight days of operations, we are destroying the homes of the cursed terrorists who tried to harm residents of the area and encountered our heroic IDF soldiers. We are here in the heart of Hebron, ready and prepared for any mission. The Yehuda Brigade will continue standing guard at all times and will not allow terrorism or Hamas to raise their heads.
Col. Dotan Malul, Yehuda Brigade Commander
Displacement Toll and Humanitarian Impact Across the Governorate
The offensive resulted in displacement and infrastructure damage across the Hebron Governorate. The Hebron Municipality stated that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families had been displaced by the military operations, while official emergency committee data specifically tallied 537 families comprising 3,361 people displaced from the al-Jilda and Deir Baha areas. Local officials characterized the mass evacuations and property destructions as collective punishment.
In addition to residential demolitions, the offensive disrupted education across the region. Military closures and checkpoints affected 66 schools and 2,872 students in the governorate, leaving thousands under direct siege or unable to reach their classrooms. Economic activity came to a halt as commercial facilities, including a tile showroom in the Farsh al-Hawa area, faced demolition notices and traders were required to clear their goods at short notice. Local sources estimated economic losses in Hebron between 10 and 12 million shekels per day.
Legal Petition and Withdrawal Following the Terror Probe
On Monday, the IDF announced its withdrawal from the Hebron neighborhood, allowing more than 3,000 displaced residents to return. The withdrawal followed a legal petition, and in an initial decision, Justice Gila Canfy Steinitz directed the state to respond and said she expected it to refrain from changing the existing situation or demolishing additional buildings, pending a further decision.
The decision to exit the area also followed internal military discussions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously rejected recommendations from IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. to leave the area and allow evacuated residents to return.
Palestinian Security Control and Continuing West Bank Tensions
Following the military’s departure on Monday, Governor Khaled Dudin announced that Palestinian security forces had taken full control of the area. Relevant municipal and security authorities began monitoring ground developments to establish conditions for residents to safely reoccupy their neighborhoods and assess the damage to homes used as military posts.
Despite the withdrawal from the specific neighborhood in Hebron, broader tensions persisted across the occupied West Bank. Settler attacks were reported alongside the military operations, including an incident in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood where occupiers beat Palestinians, used pepper spray and threw stones before stealing their olive harvest. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission also reported an agricultural room burned in Masafer Yatta and farmers blocked from accessing their lands in Dura and al-Shuyukh.