Hebron Residents Given Five Minutes to Leave as City Seals All Gates

For the residents of Hebron, the week began with a sudden loss of mobility and a five-minute warning to pack their belongings. On Saturday evening, Mayor Yousef Jaabari confirmed that Israeli forces had closed every entrance to the occupied West Bank city, effectively trapping its population inside.

Jaabari told Middle East Eye that the closure constitutes a state of emergency. "Hebron is now a disaster zone. The occupation has closed all entrances to the city. No one can enter or leave," he stated. The measures follow a deadly shooting incident that occurred early Friday morning near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint, located west of the city center. Two soldiers were killed and three were wounded after two suspected Palestinians opened fire at the post.

The immediate impact of the crackdown has been the displacement of roughly 2,200 Palestinians. These evacuations affected neighborhoods including Deir Bahala and al-Jalda, an area spanning approximately 330 dunams with more than 490 housing units. Witnesses reported that soldiers granted families only five minutes to vacate their homes. The displaced group includes many elderly people, women, and children. The municipality has established a crisis hotline and is currently arranging shelter for those who lost their homes.

Beyond residential evictions, the Palestinian Information Centre reported that at least 40 Palestinians were detained on Saturday evening. Forces also demolished businesses and residential structures. Social media footage captured Palestinian truck drivers working in unison to transport goods and supplies out of factories before the buildings were razed. Jaabari described the actions as collective punishment imposed in response to the checkpoint deaths.

Religious life in the city has also been disrupted. Israeli forces shut the Ibrahimi Mosque, a site recognized by Unesco as an endangered World Heritage Site. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs stated that staff and custodians were removed from the premises. Jaabari noted that prayers have ceased and that the call to prayer has been banned by the military.

The Ibrahimi Mosque has been administered by Palestinians for more than 1,400 years and is considered a holy site by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. In recent months, Israeli authorities have tightened control over the location by barring Muslim worshippers and facilitating settler visits. Jaabari questioned the timing of the current restrictions, accusing far-right government members of using the city and the mosque as a tool for election publicity ahead of upcoming votes.

The municipality is now monitoring the situation to meet the needs of the displaced residents. The city remains sealed, with no reported movement of people in or out as of Saturday evening.