Israeli forces have kept the West Bank city of Hebron under siege for a 10th straight day, a move that threatens to widen their operation and is pushing more Palestinian families out of their homes.
The lockdown was imposed after an attack on October 23 near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers. Residents now fear the army could soon extend its raids further.
Economic and civilian toll in Hebron
The local municipality says more than 3,300 Palestinians have been displaced or affected, with homes destroyed and businesses shut. Mayor Yousef al-Jabari said on Saturday that daily economic losses exceed 12 million shekels ($3.8m), with more than $1.9m in infrastructure damage.
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He added that losses in the health and environmental sectors are estimated at about $160,000. According to the mayor, forces have demolished 15 homes and other structures and forced 327 businesses to close, while about 80,000 students have missed school for 10 days. He said Hebron accounts for roughly 40 percent of the Palestinian economy and called the siege “collective punishment”.
Arrests, raids and settler violence across the West Bank
Arrests of Palestinians continued on Sunday in Hebron and other West Bank cities. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and seized their vehicle.
Video shared by Palestinian media and independently verified showed Israeli troops raiding a school run by the United Nations in the Shufat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem. The UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said settlers carried out 397 attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in October, the highest monthly figure since monitoring began in 2006.
Between October 20 and 26, settler attacks targeted 49 Palestinian communities, mostly during olive harvests on their land. Nine children were among 57 Palestinians injured by settlers and Israeli forces, including 34 hurt by military gunfire and physical assaults.
Demolition notices against Palestinian property rise
Palestinian families in and around Hebron fear the military could soon widen its attacks. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, a Palestinian government body, reported that Israeli authorities have issued 9,518 demolition or stop-work notices against Palestinian property since the start of 2015.
The commission added that 344 of those notices were issued in the first nine months of this year.
