Israel demolishes homes of Palestinians blamed for attack on soldiers

Israeli forces demolished the homes of brothers Ahmad and Hammouda al-Jaabeh in Hebron. The action followed an attack that Israeli authorities attributed to the brothers. It matters because the demolitions affected homes and nearby residents during a wider military siege of the city.

The brothers were killed after carrying out an attack on October 23 near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, at Hebron’s western entrance. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Army engineers spent at least nine hours placing explosives inside the homes before detonating them.

The demolitions happened on the eighth day of the military operation. Troops detained at least 12 Palestinians after residents approached the site, while thousands remained displaced from Hebron neighborhoods. The operation also included sealed entrances, arrests, business demolitions, and the conversion of some homes into military positions.

Collective punishment is the punishment of people as a group for an alleged offense committed by particular individuals. It matters because responsibility is spread beyond the people accused of carrying out an attack. International humanitarian law generally requires responsibility to be individual, not based on family, neighborhood, or community membership.

Raed Nairat said the Hebron operation aimed to make Palestinians pay a price for an act they might not have known about or supported. Israeli forces demolished the brothers’ homes, sealed entrances, displaced families, detained residents, and turned some homes into military barracks or command centers. These measures reached far beyond the two men named in connection with the attack.

The Hebron municipality reported that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families had been displaced. Nairat described the operation as politically driven and intended to break Palestinian resolve. Hamas also called the demolitions and forced displacement systematic targeting of the Palestinian presence.

The Hebron operation affected thousands of Palestinians through displacement, detention, arrests, sealed entrances, and property destruction. Its scale matters because the consequences extended across neighborhoods rather than remaining limited to the homes linked to the attack.

The Hebron municipality counted 4,969 displaced Palestinians from 780 families. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces had arrested at least 120 Palestinians since the operation began and detained at least 12 people after the demolitions. Hundreds more were interrogated. At least 13 businesses near the checkpoint were demolished.

Ein Deir Bahha was fully emptied of residents, while hundreds of families in neighboring al-Jalda remained trapped inside their homes. Israeli forces also demolished homes and used some buildings as military barracks or command centers. Elsewhere, four Palestinians were detained south of Tulkarem, and olive harvesters were attacked or driven away near Bethlehem and Nablus.

The occupied West Bank is the territory west of the Jordan River that Israel captured in 1967 and has controlled militarily since then. It matters because Palestinians live there under a system in which Israeli forces retain major security powers, while the Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in some areas.

The article describes Hebron as being in the occupied West Bank and says Area C is under full Israeli control. It also reports checkpoints, a siege, sealed entrances, raids, arrests, and military forces operating in Palestinian neighborhoods. These details show how control is exercised in daily life, especially during security operations.

The political and legal status of the West Bank remains contested, but the international community generally considers it occupied Palestinian territory. The article reports that military and settler attacks have intensified since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023. It does not describe the full history of Israel’s control.

Areas A, B, and C divide the West Bank by responsibility. Under the Oslo-era interim arrangements, the Palestinian Authority has broad civil and security powers in Area A, civil powers in Area B, and Israel retains overriding civil and security control in Area C. The division matters because authority changes from one area to another.

The article specifically identifies Area C as the part of the West Bank under full Israeli control. It reports that Israeli officials threatened to accelerate demolitions there after the Hebron attack, following measures approved by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. This makes Area C central to the reported threat.

Demolitions in Area C can affect homes and livelihoods under Israeli-controlled planning and enforcement systems. The article does not give the number of threatened buildings or explain every legal basis for the demolitions. It does show that officials linked faster demolitions to the attack and to new approved measures.

When homes are demolished and entrances are sealed, families can lose shelter, mobility, privacy, and access to work or services. Forced departure can break up neighborhoods and make return uncertain. Businesses may lose premises and customers. These effects matter because they reshape civilian life, not only the immediate security scene.

In Hebron, Ein Deir Bahha was fully emptied of residents. The municipality counted 4,969 displaced Palestinians from 780 families. Hundreds of families in nearby al-Jalda remained trapped in their homes, while at least 13 businesses near the checkpoint were demolished. Some homes were turned into military barracks and command centers.

The operation also produced arrests and continuing fear. At least 120 Palestinians were arrested, and at least 12 were detained after the demolitions. Displaced residents, including women, children, and older people, protested and demanded an end to the siege and the right to return home.

International humanitarian law separates individual responsibility from collective punishment to protect civilians during conflict and occupation. A person who attacks soldiers may be investigated and held responsible through lawful procedures. Relatives, neighbors, or an entire community should not be punished merely because they share a home, identity, or location.

The distinction matters in Hebron because the demolitions targeted homes linked to two brothers, while the wider operation displaced thousands and affected other residents. Troops sealed entrances, detained Palestinians, demolished businesses, and converted some homes into military facilities. These measures reached people beyond those accused of the attack.

The article quotes Raed Nairat describing the operation as collective punishment. The municipality reported displacement of 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families. International humanitarian law’s basic logic is that security measures must address specific responsibility and respect civilian protections, rather than impose suffering on people who were not involved.