Suryaa International Desk: Forced evacuation of over 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron: home demolitions, total blockade!Surya International Desk, Hebron/Jerusalem: Occupied... Forced displacement of over 2,000 Palestinians in Hebron: home demolitions, total blockade! Surya International Desk, Hebron/Jerusalem: Tensions in the occupied West Bank region have once again reached a fever pitch. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a massive military operation in the city after two Israeli soldiers were killed at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hebron. As part of this operation, more than 250 families from Al-Zalda and Ain Dir Baha areas of Hebron were forcibly evicted from their homes at midnight. As a result, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been displaced so far, according to local municipality officials and international news agencies.
Black 'X' marks on houses demolitions with bulldozers: The Israeli army entered the city of Hebron with dozens of armored vehicles and heavy bulldozers and carried out intensive inspections. Eyewitnesses said that 'X'-shaped marks were made in black ink on the walls of the vacated houses and the residents were sent on foot towards the city limits. Along with the houses of those involved in the checkpoint attack, the army razed nearby residential buildings, commercial complexes and factories to the ground. In order to evacuate people from their houses, heavy firing is being done and the suspects are being detained and interrogated. Complete blockade of the city – closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque: All main gates leading to Hebron governorate were closed with iron gates in the wake of the military operation. As a result the transport system was completely paralyzed.
Educational institutions suspended classes and the army evicted staff, banning Muslim prayers inside the historic Ibrahimi Mosque. Hebron Municipality has set up emergency shelters for homeless families and is providing food and drinking water. Netanyahu's Warning Palestinian Subordinate Organization's Rage: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the neighborhood of Hebron, said that they will take revenge for the attack on the soldiers and warned that they will carry out extensive combing measures similar to those implemented in the northern West Bank in Hebron. On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority (PA) appealed to the United Nations and the international community to immediately stop the forced deportations, saying that the Israeli government is imposing collective punishment on the common people for the political gain of the elections.
