Israeli forces seize Hebron homes for barracks, observation posts

Israeli forces converted private Palestinian residences into military barracks and observation posts in occupied Hebron on Saturday, forcibly evicting families during the second day of a sweeping ground operation, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Homes seized for military use

Troops commandeered structures in the Khallat Manna and Dahiyat al-Zaytoun districts to serve as barracks, while additional properties across other neighborhoods were repurposed as observation posts, Palestinian security sources told the agency. The seizures followed the forced displacement of hundreds of families since Friday amid extensive raids and sweeping road closures that have paralyzed movement across the southern West Bank city.

Restrictions expand to Bethlehem area

Near Bethlehem, Israeli forces blocked dirt roads leading to the town of Tuqu and fired tear gas and stun grenades toward Palestinian vehicles attempting to traverse rough alternative routes, Wafa reported. The ongoing closures across Bethlehem and surrounding villages have left residents dependent on unpaved tracks — often impassable during winter rains — to travel between communities, effectively isolating population centers from essential services.

Operation follows deadly checkpoint attack

The army sealed off Hebron and neighboring Halhul on Friday after two Palestinians attacked an Israeli checkpoint, killing two soldiers and wounding three others before being shot dead by troops. Israeli military officials announced that the offensive could extend for several days and would involve house-to-house searches, interrogations, and efforts to locate weapons and "terrorist infrastructure." The occupied West Bank has witnessed escalating Israeli military attacks and settler violence since October 2023, including the torching of mosques, the bulldozing of farmland, and the prevention of farmers from accessing their fields.