Hebron's governor said Israeli forces withdrew from the city on November 2 after a 10-day siege, and that families forced from their homes could return, Al Jazeera reported. The withdrawal came after Israel blew up the homes of the two gunmen who killed two soldiers at a checkpoint and displaced almost 5,000 Palestinians.
The United Nations' human rights chief had said the crackdown raised "serious concerns of ethnic cleansing." Israel's October 27 election produced no majority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc or Gadi Eisenkot's, and a temporary court order had paused some demolitions while troops raided the city.
Why it matters
The Hebron siege showed how one attack can displace thousands in the West Bank; whether families can return is now the test.
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Key Indicators
4,969
Palestinians displaced
780 families, per a Hebron municipality statement on Oct 27; Al Jazeera reported almost 5,000 displaced on Nov 1. The Hebron governor said on Nov 2 that they could return.
2
Israeli soldiers killed in checkpoint attack
Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20; three soldiers wounded.
35 hectares
Land destroyed or marked
About 86 acres in the Ein Deir Baha district, per Hebron municipality.
12
Suspects detained
IDF says troops apprehended 12 suspects overnight and seized weapons in Hebron.
10
Siege duration
Israeli forces withdrew on Nov 2 after a 10-day operation, Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin said.
17 events
Latest: November 2nd, 2026 · 1 week ago
Showing 8 of 17
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November 2026
Hebron governor says Israeli forces withdraw after 10-day siege
LatestMilitary operation
Governor Khaled Dudin said Israeli forces had withdrawn from Hebron and families forced from their homes could return, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera: almost 5,000 displaced as Hebron siege continues
Situation report
Al Jazeera reported that almost 5,000 people have been displaced by Israel's military siege on Hebron, with the operation still under way.
October 2026
Israel blows up homes of two Hebron gunmen
Military operation
The military demolished the two assailants' homes with explosives, Reuters and the Times of Israel reported. Local officials said the wider operation had displaced more than 3,000 Palestinians.
Hebron operation enters eighth day; 3,361 displaced from two districts
Situation report
WAFA reported that Israeli forces sent engineering units into the Deir Bahha area and that 537 families, or 3,361 people, had been displaced from the al-Jilda and Deir Bahha areas.
Hebron raids continue into sixth day
Military operation
Israeli forces kept raiding Hebron and tightened restrictions at the city's entrances, stopping and searching Palestinians at checkpoints near the al-Jaladah roundabout.
Hebron municipality puts displaced at 4,969
Situation report
The municipality said 780 families, or 4,969 people, had been displaced from the city. The Times of Israel reported roughly 5,000 residents still affected by the operation.
Israel holds election; neither bloc wins
Election
No winner emerged between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and challenger Gadi Eisenkot's bloc in the October 27 national election.
IDF seals homes of two Hebron gunmen, detains 12 suspects
Military operation
Troops sealed the homes of Mohammad and Firas Jaaba overnight and apprehended 12 suspects, the military says. It says it intends to demolish the homes.
UN rights chief warns of 'serious concerns of ethnic cleansing'
Statement
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Israel had displaced more than 2,000 Palestinians in three days and called the lockdown and demolitions punitive and designed to instill fear.
Hebron governorate reports 3,171 displaced
Situation report
Governor Khaled Dudin said 488 families had been displaced across the wider Hebron governorate, while Mayor Yousef al-Jabari told Al Jazeera 3,043 people had been displaced in the city.
Palestinian officials report 2,670 displaced; homes used as military posts
Situation report
The office of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said 2,670 people had been forcibly displaced, including 127 infants and 81 pregnant women. Wafa said Israeli forces turned homes in southern Hebron into barracks and observation posts.
High court temporarily halts Hebron demolitions
Legal
Court acts after lawyer Mohammed Dahleh's urgent petition; demolitions stop pending further review.
Displacement figures climb past 1,200
Situation report
Palestinian officials report up to 250 families displaced; Israel plans removal of 2,500 more people.
Hebron displacement reaches 1,500 as demolitions widen
Situation report
Hebron municipality says 1,500 people were evicted by Saturday afternoon and 35 hectares were destroyed or marked for demolition.
Two soldiers killed at Hebron checkpoint
Attack
Two Palestinian gunmen kill two Israeli soldiers near Yehuda Junction; three wounded. Gunmen die in the exchange.
Netanyahu orders Hebron sealed, vows mass demolitions
Statement
Prime Minister pledges a "very extensive" West Bank operation "on a scale not seen since the Six Day War."
Bulldozers level homes in two Hebron neighborhoods
Military operation
Demolitions target Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa; hundreds of families displaced. Ibrahimi Mosque shut for Friday prayers.
Scenarios
1
Israel completes planned displacement of 2,500 from Hebron
Likely
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Hebron Mayor Youssef al-Jaabari; WAFA reporting
Israeli forces carry out the full planned removal of roughly 2,500 people from 35 hectares in Ein Deir Baha and Farsh al-Hawa, overriding or outlasting the high court's temporary order. Demolitions continue through and past the election.
2
High court permanently blocks Hebron demolitions
Possible
Resolves by Q1 2027
Discussed by: Petitioner Mohammed Dahleh; human rights groups
Israel's high court makes its temporary order permanent, halting the demolitions and allowing displaced families to return. The military operation scales back to closures and raids only.
3
Wider West Bank campaign follows Israeli election
Uncertain
Resolves by Feb 28, 2027
Discussed by: Netanyahu's public pledge; NPR analysis
After the October 27 election, Netanyahu expands the operation beyond Hebron, following through on his promise of a campaign "not seen since the Six Day War." New closures, raids, and displacement spread across the West Bank.
4
Displaced Hebron families return after Israeli withdrawal
Likely
Resolves by Nov 30, 2026
Discussed by: Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin, quoted by Al Jazeera
Dudin said families forced from their homes can return after Israeli forces withdrew on November 2. Thousands were displaced from neighborhoods where Israel demolished homes and businesses.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
June 1967
Six-Day War (1967)
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula in six days of fighting against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The war began Israel's military occupation of the West Bank.
Then
Israel gained control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, establishing the occupation that continues today.
Now
The 1967 lines became the reference point for decades of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the basis for West Bank settlements.
Why this matters now
Netanyahu explicitly cited the Six Day War as his benchmark, telling Israelis the coming operation would be "on a scale not seen" since that conflict.
2 of 3
2025
Jenin refugee camp operation (2025)
Israeli forces carried out a large-scale operation in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, forcing nearly 20,000 people from their homes, according to reporting cited by Israel's defense minister.
Then
The camp's population was largely displaced and much of its infrastructure demolished.
Now
Jenin became the benchmark for mass displacement inside the West Bank.
Why this matters now
Defense Minister Israel Katz explicitly said Hebron would be targeted "in the same way as Jenin refugee camp," making Jenin the direct template for the current operation.
3 of 3
October 2023 - present
Gaza Strip war (2023-present)
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza involving mass displacement and demolition on a far larger scale than any West Bank operation.
Then
Gaza's population has faced repeated displacement and widespread destruction of housing.
Now
The Gaza campaign established a pattern of mass demolition and displacement as military practice.
Why this matters now
Katz drew an explicit comparison between Gaza and Hebron, signaling the Gaza playbook now reaches into the West Bank.
