Daijiworld Media Network - Hebron
Hebron, Oct 25: Israeli forces have taken over Palestinian homes in Hebron in the occupied West Bank and converted them into military barracks and observation posts after forcing residents to leave, as a military operation in the city continues, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
According to Wafa, Israeli forces occupied homes in the Khallat Manna and Dahiyat al-Zaytoun areas of southern Hebron for use as barracks. Residents in other neighbourhoods were also forced out of their homes, which were subsequently used as observation posts.
The operation follows an attack on an Israeli army reserve base on Friday, allegedly carried out by two armed Palestinians. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack, while the two suspects were also killed. Israeli forces subsequently imposed a lockdown on Hebron and carried out hundreds of raids across the city.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israeli forces had detained at least 47 Palestinians across Hebron since Friday and forcibly displaced 293 families, comprising approximately 2,200 people.
Among those displaced were 127 infants, 81 pregnant women and 26 people with disabilities. The displaced population also included 134 people with chronic illnesses and 265 elderly people aged above 60, the organisation told Al Jazeera.
The group further reported that Israeli troops had conducted hundreds of field interrogations, during which Palestinians were subjected to detention and alleged abuse.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have begun establishing two new outposts on Palestinian-owned land in Yatta, south of Hebron, Wafa reported.
Activist Osama Makhamra told Wafa that settlers had pitched a tent in the Khallet al-Fara area, west of Yatta, and brought in bulldozers and excavation equipment to level and dig the land ahead of construction.
Another outpost was reportedly established in the Yatta desert, on Palestinian-owned land between the villages of az-Zuweidin and Umm Qussa. Settlers pitched several tents and began installing infrastructure, including water and electricity networks.
In the Bethlehem governorate, Israeli forces continued closing roads and entrances for the third consecutive day on Sunday, disrupting movement in several towns and villages.
On Saturday, forces closed dirt roads leading to Tuqu to restrict access. They also fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades towards Palestinian vehicles travelling along rough alternative routes near the town.
The latest raids, displacement and road closures come amid heightened tensions across the occupied Palestinian territory, days before Israel’s general elections. The developments also coincide with reports of increased attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian olive harvesters during the harvest season.