‘Everything destroyed’: Hebron businesses count cost of Israeli assault

Israeli forces carried out demolitions and sweeping closures across Hebron after a shooting near the city’s western entrance. Factories, homes, and commercial facilities were destroyed. Entrances were sealed, shops were shut, and many residents were removed from their homes. These actions affected both private life and commercial activity.

Sufyan al-Qawasmi’s ceramic and marble factories were demolished without prior warning. The family had built the businesses over decades, and they supported more than 70 people. A three-storey house, offices, warehouses, and neighboring commercial buildings also disappeared beneath the rubble. Much of the stored stock was destroyed or left buried.

The operation left owners unable to work and residents unable to move normally through the city. More than 3,000 Palestinians were forcibly evacuated. The Hebron Chamber of Commerce said damage surveys were still being compiled, with losses expected to reach millions of dollars.

Israeli authorities responded to a shooting near Hebron’s western entrance with demolitions, raids, arrests, closures, and plans for a wider West Bank closure. The attack was carried out by two Palestinians and killed two Israeli soldiers. The two Palestinian gunmen were also killed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then announced a large-scale military operation across Hebron.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the demolitions were meant to establish deterrence and exact a price. The stated mechanism was collective pressure after an attack. Yet al-Qawasmi’s factories were not identified as belonging to the attackers. They were demolished because they stood near the attack site, and the family received no prior warning or notice.

The measures extended beyond the immediate location. Entrances were closed, homes were raided, residents were evacuated, and commercial facilities were shut. The operation therefore affected a whole city, not only people directly connected to the shooting. Human rights groups condemned this approach as collective punishment.

Collective punishment is the punishment of people who are not individually shown to have committed an offense, because they belong to the same family, community, or area as those accused. It matters because the consequences spread beyond the people allegedly responsible. Human rights groups regard the practice as unjust and condemn it.

In Hebron, two Palestinians carried out a shooting near the city’s western entrance. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers, while the two gunmen were also killed. Israeli bulldozers then demolished Sufyan al-Qawasmi’s factories without prior warning. The article says the factories were targeted because they were close to the attack site, not because al-Qawasmi was identified as an attacker.

The punishment also affected neighbors and residents. A house and commercial facilities were demolished, entrances were closed, and more than 3,000 Palestinians were evacuated. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the action as deterrence and exacting a price. Critics say that logic penalizes a broader population.

The economic damage is already measured in millions, but the full total remains unknown. Sufyan al-Qawasmi estimates that destroying 1,300 square metres of his family’s property caused losses of at least 60 million shekels, reported as $19m. The Hebron Chamber of Commerce says it is still compiling figures for damaged businesses and homes.

The wider scale is substantial. Hebron has more than 23,000 economic establishments, including over 5,000 industrial and artisanal facilities. Those industrial and artisanal businesses employ approximately 40,000 workers. Al-Qawasmi’s factories alone provided livelihoods for more than 70 people. Much of their stock was destroyed or remained buried after the demolitions.

The operation also displaced more than 3,000 Palestinians from their homes. Closures prevented employees from reaching workplaces and businesses from operating. The Chamber warned that the effects extend beyond Hebron because the city is a major pillar of the Palestinian economy. A complete damage estimate was still being prepared.

Road closures and military restrictions disrupt commerce by cutting the links between businesses, workers, customers, and stored goods. When entrances are closed, employees cannot reach workplaces and owners cannot open facilities. Forced evacuations also remove residents from commercial areas. The result is halted production, fewer sales, and damage that spreads through local supply chains.

The article gives a direct example. Al-Qawasmi said he had no chance to retrieve goods before bulldozers demolished the factories. Most of the stock was destroyed, while the remaining goods stayed buried under rubble. Only some marble slabs were recovered and moved to friends’ facilities. The article does not state that goods spoiled, but it clearly describes goods becoming inaccessible or destroyed.

The same restrictions affected businesses across Hebron. The Chamber of Commerce said workers could not reach their jobs and owners could not operate facilities. Shops were shut and areas were closed. Damage assessments were still underway, but officials said losses had reached millions of dollars and affected the wider Palestinian economy.

Hebron is especially important because the Chamber of Commerce describes it as a primary pillar of the Palestinian economy. It contributes approximately 42 percent of Palestinian gross domestic product. The city has more than 23,000 economic establishments and a broad industrial base, including stone and marble, plastics, metals, food, leather, footwear, and glass.

Its businesses connect local production with outside markets. Al-Qawasmi’s family factories made ceramics and marble and exported goods to Israel. Hebron also has strong commercial and agricultural activity. More than 5,000 industrial and artisanal facilities employ approximately 40,000 workers, making the city’s factories important sources of income for households and suppliers.

Closures therefore affect more than individual owners. When businesses cannot operate, production, wages, trade, and deliveries are interrupted. The Chamber said an Israeli settlement in Hebron’s commercial centre already disrupts Palestinian movement and trade. New demolitions and road closures deepen those difficulties and transmit losses to the wider Palestinian economy.

Gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the value of goods and services produced within an economy during a specific period. It is commonly used to show the size and activity of an economy. A city’s businesses can influence national GDP when they produce large amounts, employ many workers, and supply or sell goods across regions and borders.

Hebron illustrates that connection. The Chamber of Commerce says the city contributes approximately 42 percent of Palestinian GDP. It contains more than 23,000 economic establishments, including over 5,000 industrial and artisanal facilities employing about 40,000 workers. Al-Qawasmi’s factories produced ceramics and marble, with goods exported to Israel.

When factories are demolished or workplaces become unreachable, production stops. Workers lose access to jobs, stock may be destroyed, and trade is interrupted. These effects reduce income for families and businesses and can weaken suppliers and customers elsewhere. The Chamber therefore said the operation’s impact extends beyond Hebron to the Palestinian economy as a whole.