Hebron Under Siege: 10 Days of Lockdown, Israel Threatens Wider Offensive Amidst Economic Devastation

Israeli forces are continuing their stringent siege on Hebron for the tenth consecutive day, with explicit threats of expanding the offensive and forcing more Palestinian families from their homes. The lockdown in the occupied West Bank city was imposed following an attack on October 23 near Hebron, which resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers. According to the local municipality, over 3,300 Palestinians have been displaced or affected, experiencing destroyed homes and closed businesses. Mayor Yousef al-Jabari informed Al Jazeera on Saturday that daily economic losses are estimated to surpass 12 million shekels ($3.8 million), with infrastructure damage exceeding $1.9 million. Additional losses in the health and environmental sectors are estimated at approximately $160,000. The mayor also stated that Israeli forces have demolished 15 homes and other structures, and compelled 327 businesses to cease operations. Approximately 80,000 students have been unable to attend school for the duration of the 10-day siege. Mayor al-Jabari emphasized that Hebron contributes about 40 percent to the Palestinian economy, characterizing the siege as "collective punishment." Palestinian families residing in and around the city are expressing fears that the Israeli army may soon escalate its operations.

In parallel, Israeli arrests of Palestinians in Hebron and other cities within the occupied West Bank persisted on Sunday. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces apprehended 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and confiscated their vehicle. Video footage, shared by Palestinian media and verified by Al Jazeera, depicted the Israeli military conducting a raid on a United Nations-run school in the Shufat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli settlers carried out 397 attacks against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in October, marking the highest monthly figure since monitoring commenced in 2006, according to Wafa. During the period of October 20 to 26, settler attacks targeted 49 Palestinian communities, predominantly while Palestinians were engaged in olive harvesting on their land. Nine children were among the 57 Palestinians injured by settlers and Israeli forces; 34 sustained injuries from military gunfire and physical assaults, while 23 were harmed in settler attacks. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported that since the beginning of 2015, Israeli authorities have issued 9,518 demolition or stop-work notices against Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian government commission further indicated that 344 of these notices were issued within the first nine months of the current year.