Hebron, 24 October. About 1,200 Palestinians in Hebron were forced to leave their homes after an attack on 23 October in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, and another 1,300 may also be forced out, the head of Hebron municipality said; the Palestinian Authority called for international pressure on Israel.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, cited by Anadolu, Israeli forces have kept the al-Jilda and Deir Bahha areas in central Hebron under complete siege for a second day, closed the entrances to the city and roads leading to it, and brought in additional vehicles and bulldozers. Troops searched homes and conducted field interrogations, and early in the morning forced dozens of residents out of their homes into the street. Across the West Bank, another 19 Palestinians were detained over the past day, 16 of them in Nablus governorate.
The siege of Hebron comes three days before Israel's parliamentary election on 27 October. On 23 October Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened the largest military operation in the West Bank since 1967.
What it means: Israel's response to the attack near Hebron has already left more than a thousand Palestinians without their homes, and the number displaced could double.
Who benefits: The Israeli authorities justify the measures by security concerns after the soldiers' deaths. The Palestinian side is counting on international pressure. Hebron residents are already bearing the losses.
Background: Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank; in its centre Israeli settlements sit next to Palestinian neighbourhoods, and the city is divided into zones of control.
We have also reported that Netanyahu sealed off Hebron and threatened a West Bank operation.
