ISRAELI military operations in Hebron and the neighbouring town of Halhul have reportedly forced Palestinian families from their homes, with demolitions and plans for further displacement prompting warnings of a widening campaign of ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem urged foreign governments and international institutions to use all available mechanisms under international law to halt the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, collective punishment and widespread destruction.
“Israeli leaders are openly stating their intentions, while actions on the ground have already begun,” the organisation said.
The warning followed a shooting near Hebron on Friday that killed two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinians, and wounded three other Israeli soldiers.
Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced measures involving forced population transfers and extensive demolitions.
“We will implement in the cities the model of attack that we successfully used in the refugee camps,” Anadolu Agency reported Netanyahu saying.
B’Tselem said a similar approach had left more than 33,000 Palestinians displaced across the northern part of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces surrounded Hebron and Halhul for a second consecutive day, forcing dozens of Palestinians to leave their homes, raiding residences and demolishing a residential building and other properties.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Civil Administration began demolishing Palestinian-owned structures in the Farsh al-Hawa neighbourhood.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also announced plans to establish four new agricultural outposts in the southern Hebron Hills, which the report described as illegal settlements.
B’Tselem warned that the coordinated measures could amount to war crimes, drawing parallels with what it described as Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
The organisation said the developments reflected a broader policy aimed at undermining Palestinian community life, expanding settlements and entrenching Israel’s occupation. - October 26, 2026