Israel rips out Hebron homes of brothers who killed soldiers

Israeli military engineers demolished the homes of two Palestinian brothers in Hebron on Friday. The structure was the residence of Ahmad and Hammouda al-Jaabeh, who killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others during an attack on October 23. The brothers carried out the assault near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint at the western entrance to the city.

The demolitions marked the eighth day of a military offensive and siege in the southern West Bank city. Troops surrounded the al-Jaabeh homes from the morning and sealed off the surrounding area. Engineers spent at least nine hours inside the buildings to rig explosives before triggering the detonation.

After the buildings collapsed, a large number of troops backed by drones moved into the site. This action occurred as residents attempted to approach the location. Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed al-Atrash reported that forces detained at least 12 Palestinians during this phase. Some of these individuals remained in custody as of the broadcast, according to al-Atrash.

The military has fully emptied the Ein Deir Bahha neighborhood of its residents. Some homes in the area now serve as military barracks and command centers. Hundreds of families in the adjacent al-Jalda area remain trapped in their homes. The Hebron municipality stated on Tuesday that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families had been displaced by the operation.

Al-Atrash noted that Israeli forces arrested at least 120 Palestinians since the offensive began. Hundreds more have been interrogated. At least 13 businesses near the checkpoint have also been demolished. Israeli officials threatened to accelerate demolitions in Area C, the section of the West Bank under full Israeli control, following measures approved by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Dozens of displaced residents gathered near the closed al-Jalda roundabout on Friday. The group included women, children, and older people. They protested to demand an end to the siege and the right to return home.

Raed Nairat, an academic and expert on Israeli affairs based in Nablus, described the operation as collective punishment. He stated the aim is to break the Palestinian will and force them to pay a price they cannot bear. Nairat argued the operation is driven by political rather than security aims, turning the West Bank into a military zone. Hamas called the forced displacement and demolitions a systematic campaign targeting the Palestinian presence and urged urgent international action.