Troops demolish Hebron sites after ambush

Israeli military units demolished illegally built structures near the northern entrance to Hebron on Saturday.

The destruction followed a shooting attack on Friday that killed two soldiers, St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. The Civil Administration and troops carried out the demolitions close to the scene of the incident. Military officials stated the action aimed to enforce law and order and remove potential security threats posed by the buildings.

The operation is a counterterrorism campaign led by the Judea Brigade. It involves personnel from the Duvdevan and Maglan units, the Paratroopers Brigade, Givati reconnaissance reservists, and the Border Police. The Shin Bet security agency provides intelligence guidance for the effort. Soldiers have searched approximately 200 locations in the area. They ruled out the presence of weapons and terrorist activity in those sites and arrested 10 suspects.

IDF assessments indicate that about 2,000 residents in the targeted zone belong to the Ja'aba clan. This clan is affiliated with Hamas. Central Command officials identified the Friday shooters as Hamouda and Firas al-Ja'aba. Both men are Hamas affiliates who came from the Ein Dir-Baha neighborhood. The military began evacuating the al-Jalda and Ein Dir-Baha neighborhoods on Friday evening. These densely populated districts in western Hebron are part of the city's Palestinian urban area.

Civilians who requested to leave were allowed to exit through checkpoints run by the Shin Bet and the IDF. Officials explained that moving residents out allows security forces to search family homes and surrounding structures thoroughly. This search targets terrorist infrastructure, weapons, ammunition, explosives laboratories, and caches. The security establishment views the area as a known center for Hamas activity in Hebron.

Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, commander of the IDF's West Bank Division, expanded arrest operations and searches to the Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm areas on Saturday. He also ordered additional searches throughout Samaria. A situational assessment is scheduled for Saturday to decide if the main Hebron operation will expand. These moves occur while Hamas leadership abroad attempts to coordinate attacks ahead of upcoming elections.