2,000 Hebron Residents Evacuated as Troops Clear 200 Sites After Fatal Ambush

A large-scale military operation in Hebron displaced approximately 2,000 residents on Saturday as troops and civil administration personnel demolished illegally constructed buildings near the city's northern entrance. The sweep followed a shooting attack on Friday that killed two soldiers at Yehuda Junction.

The victims were St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. Military officials stated that the demolitions, conducted close to the ambush site, aimed to restore order and remove security threats posed by the structures. Central Command identified the gunmen as Hamouda and Firas al-Ja'aba, both of whom were affiliated with Hamas and hailed from the Ein Dir-Baha neighborhood.

The Judea Brigade commands the counterterrorism effort, which includes personnel from the Duvdevan and Maglan units, the Paratroopers Brigade, Givati reconnaissance reservists, and Border Police. The Shin Bet security agency provides intelligence guidance for the operation. Soldiers searched roughly 200 locations to rule out weapons and terrorist activity, resulting in the arrest of 10 suspects.

IDF assessments indicate that the roughly 2,000 displaced residents belong to the Ja'aba clan, a group affiliated with Hamas. The military began evacuating the al-Jalda and Ein Dir-Baha neighborhoods on Friday evening. These densely populated districts in western Hebron sit within the city's Palestinian urban area and are known to security agencies as centers of Hamas activity. Civilians were permitted to exit temporarily through checkpoints operated by the Shin Bet and the IDF.

Officials explained that removing residents allows troops to thoroughly inspect family homes and surrounding areas for weapons, ammunition, explosives laboratories, and caches without endangering civilians. Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, commander of the IDF's West Bank Division, has also expanded searches and arrests in the Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm areas, as well as in Samaria.

A situational assessment was scheduled for Saturday to determine if the operation would expand. The intensified security measures coincide with concerns that Hamas leadership abroad is orchestrating attacks ahead of upcoming elections.