Hebron Residents Return Home to Devastation After Israeli Military Operation

Nour al-Natsha has returned to his home in Hebron after being displaced for 10 days due to an Israeli military operation. Israeli forces had occupied the al-Jalada neighborhood on October 24, following the killing of two Israeli soldiers nearby the previous day. Al-Natsha's family was given a mere 20 minutes to evacuate, managing to take only essential items like money, gold, and important documents, leaving behind most of their personal belongings and cherished family photographs.

Upon hearing of the Israeli forces' withdrawal, al-Natsha cautiously returned to inspect his home on Monday. He discovered the doors ajar and the interior in disarray, with belongings missing, including his young daughter's pet bird. "When we entered the house, it was a mixture of emotions," the 35-year-old orthopaedic surgeon shared. "You couldn’t tell whether you were happy to be back home or heartbroken by what had happened to it."

While the Israeli military operation in Hebron appears to have concluded, al-Natsha, his family, and thousands of other residents are left to confront the aftermath. Families and neighbors had gathered in the nearby Wadi al-Karm area on Sunday evening, awaiting news of the military's departure. After initial reports of withdrawal proved premature, they returned to temporary accommodations, hopeful for a swift return home.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, confirmation of the military's withdrawal arrived. Al-Natsha proceeded to the neighborhood around 6 am, encountering other residents returning to their properties. He waited for relatives before entering his home, accompanied by his father and two brothers, to check for any suspicious objects or hazards, given the doors were found open. Once the property was deemed safe, family members began the arduous task of cleaning and restoring order, salvaging items they feared might be damaged or contaminated, aiming to make their home habitable once more and resume their daily lives.

The return was tinged with anxiety, particularly for al-Natsha's four-year-old daughter, Ilya, who was deeply concerned about her pet bird, "Natosh," left behind. Al-Natsha remains uncertain of the bird's fate. The return of families to al-Jalada followed 10 days of military restrictions and evacuations impacting several Hebron neighborhoods. During this period, hundreds of families were displaced, and local businesses and institutions were forced to close. According to the Hebron Governorate’s Support and Relief Committee, approximately 3,300 people from 537 families were displaced.

As residents return, the full extent of the damage to homes and belongings, and the psychological toll of their displacement, are becoming apparent. For 68-year-old Khaled Shawer, another resident of the neighborhood, the physical damage is secondary to the return of stability. "Everything can be replaced: the destruction, the damage, the dirt, everything," Shawer stated. "But the most important thing is that we have returned to our homes, our paradise on Earth, the place where we find our psychological and physical stability."