IDF exits Hebron after terror probe
The military withdrew from western Hebron following a deadly attack and a legal challenge by residents.
By Marta Gray ·
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday that it is withdrawing from a neighborhood in western Hebron. Troops had occupied the area since the previous weekend in response to a Hamas-linked attack that killed several people. The withdrawal follows a legal petition and internal military recommendations to allow displaced residents to return home.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially supported the operation after a deadly shooting on Friday morning. The IDF stated that the attackers were part of a larger Hamas clan in the district. Despite this, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF Chief of Staff, recommended last week that the military leave the area. He cited a lack of clear military reasons to remain after inspections were completed.
Legal advocates challenged the scope of the operation. The organization Adalah filed a petition with the High Court of Justice on Thursday on behalf of the Hebron municipality and seven residents. The filing alleged that troops ordered families in the Ein Deir Baha and al-Jalda neighborhoods to leave their homes between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. on October 24. Petitioners claimed residents received orders via loudspeakers with insufficient time to prepare and were told they could not return until further notice.
Municipal figures cited in the legal filing suggest the impact of the operation may be larger than initial estimates. While the IDF referenced 2,000 evacuated Palestinians, the municipality reported that 780 families were affected. This number could total up to 4,969 people. The petition also noted that blocked access routes prevented rubbish collection, leaving approximately 1,200 tons of waste accumulating in the city by Wednesday.
The IDF stated it destroyed illegally built structures that hindered security operations. However, military sources provided few details on the specific offenses of the displaced residents beyond their familial ties to the attackers. This approach differs from earlier evacuations in Jenin and Tulkarm, where mass terror incidents were well-documented. In Hebron, the operation appeared driven by statements from senior officials about exacting a price for the attack.
Justice Gila Canfy Steinitz issued an initial decision last Friday directing the state to respond to the petition. She indicated she expected the government to refrain from demolishing additional buildings while the court considered the case. The High Court named the defense minister, the head of IDF Central Command, the military advocate-general, and the attorney-general as respondents in the matter.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel also demanded the return of displaced residents. Its executive director Noa Sattath stated that no attack gives the military the license to punish an entire city. The IDF’s Monday announcement concludes the temporary occupation of the specific neighborhood, though the legal process regarding the operation remains ongoing.
