Israel raids Hebron amid fears for Ibrahimi Mosque and settlement expansion Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Tue, 01/20/2026 - 13:10 Residents warn prolonged siege could displace Palestinians and consolidate settler presence An Israeli soldier reacts as the military closes part of the southern sector of the West Bank city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on 19 January 2026 (AFP/Hazem Bader) Off A large-scale Israeli assault in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron entered its second day on Tuesday, with troops closing roads, raiding homes and shops, and imposing a curfew on Palestinians . The army said the operation would continue for several days. It warned that explosions would be heard and troop activity would increase. The army said the raid aimed to seize weapons and boost security. It said the operation involved the army, police and so-called border guards. Troops carried out a wide incursion into southern neighbourhoods. Military vehicles were heavily deployed in the area. A full curfew was also imposed, while streets were sealed with iron gates and concrete blocks. A security cordon was placed around an area of about four square kilometres. The targeted neighbourhoods are home to around 18,750 Palestinians. They include Khilat al-Qubba, Jabal Jawhar, Tariq Junction, Khilat al-Sharbati, al-Sahla and Birin. Farid Burqan, a resident of Jabal Jawhar, said the Israeli army told locals they were not allowed to leave their homes and would be under curfew for at least eight days. He said he learns about events in the area through social media, as he cannot leave his home. Meanwhile, military vehicles and bulldozers can occasionally be heard blocking neighbourhood entrances. “The closures were reinforced with earth mounds, iron gates, and even vehicles,” Burqan told Middle East Eye. 'They want to divide the area further and turn it into something like the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps' - Lafi Ghaith, Hebron resident “Bulldozers pushed cars together to form barriers, preventing anyone from passing. They even closed side roads leading to smaller streets and houses.” Residents fear the operation could last many days, restricting freedom of movement and access to daily necessities. Schools in the area have been closed since the start of the incursion. “There are intensive house raids, arbitrary arrests, and occupation of homes,” Burqan said. “Soldiers are deploying in large numbers and moving rapidly through all alleys and streets.” Lafi Ghaith, who works at a stone factory in the besieged area, said he has not been able to reach his workplace since the operation began. His siblings, who also live locally, said they have been under siege since Monday morning, unable to leave their homes or find out what is happening. “The soldiers stormed my sister’s house, crammed the whole family into one room, ransacked the house and destroyed everything,” Ghaith told MEE. “They also turned many homes into military barracks, with infantry units constantly moving between them,” he added. The industrial zone where Ghaith works contains several large factories. Their closure is disrupting the lives and livelihoods of many Palestinians. “They use any pretext to harass us and force us out so settlers can seize our homes,” Ghaith said. “They want to divide the area further and turn it into something like the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps. Their policy is to displace Palestinians by any means necessary.” ‘The political dimension’ Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, the city was divided into two areas. H1, covering about 80 percent of the city, is under Palestinian Authority control. H2, including the Old City, the Ibrahimi Mosque, and several southern neighbourhoods, is under full Israeli control. For more than 25 years, Israel has sealed off roughly one square kilometre around the Ibrahimi Mosque with over 120 checkpoints and gates. The area, home to around 7,000 Palestinians, also contains several settlement outposts. As genocide continues in Gaza, the West Bank is pushed into a new Nakba Read More » Asma Sharabati, Hebron’s deputy mayor, said the Israeli military operation targets a densely populated area in the city that includes 12 government schools and four municipal service centres. Municipal staff have faced major obstacles trying to repair generators supplying electricity to residents since the assault. Access was blocked, and one employee was assaulted. Sharabati said the operation is not just about services. “The political dimension is far more dangerous. It is linked to broader Israeli measures, including stripping the municipality of authority over the mosque, altering its architecture, establishing a settlement outpost nearby, and filing lawsuits to expand control over the Old City,” she said. The aim is to expand settlement outposts, shorten the distances between them, and develop infrastructure to facilitate communication between them and connect them to the Kiryat Arba settlement, according to her. She added that the aim is to expand settlement outposts, shorten distances between them, and develop infrastructure to link them with the Kiryat Arba settlement. The area targeted is the closest to the Old City. Sharabati warned that Israel may seek to extend the closed areas under direct control. “What is happening is sensitive and dangerous,” she said. “It requires intervention from the Palestinian Authority and the international community. “Hebron is unique: settlement outposts are inside the city. Any expansion could displace Palestinian residents and make control extremely difficult.” Ibrahimi mosque The Israeli operation in Hebron coincided with an unprecedented move by the army in recent days: it delivered orders barring the director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, Mu’taz Abu Sneineh, and the head custodian, Hammam Abu Murkhiya, from entering the mosque for 15 days. Israel seizes planning powers over Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque from Palestinians Read More » The move, reminiscent of restrictions at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, raises questions about the operation’s aims and its connection to consolidating control over the Ibrahimi Mosque. The mosque, in the southern area, is a focal point for settlers, who seized half of it after the Hebron Agreement. Earlier this month, the army stripped Palestinians of municipal control over the mosque. The move is widely seen as undermining Islamic administration, amid rumours that authority may be transferred from Hebron Municipality to the religious council of the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement. Issa Amr, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group in Hebron, said those reported plans are at the heart of the operation’s aims. It “The goal is to separate the eastern and southern areas of the Ibrahimi Mosque from the rest of Hebron and depopulate them, especially the industrial zone,” he said. “So far, Israel has not arrested anyone known for lawlessness in the area.” Occupation Ramallah, occupied Palestine News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0