Hundreds of soldiers from Israel's military backed by armoured vehicles have launched a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, imposing a lockdown on the southern districts. The Israeli army and internal security service, Shin Bet, confirmed the operation, stating its aim is to thwart terror infrastructure and confiscate weapons in the Jebel Johar area.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as one of total lockdown, with an intensive deployment of occupation forces, including bulldozers and tracked armoured vehicles. Video footage verified by local sources shows Israeli forces closing the Tariq bin Ziyad roundabout with cement blocks and earth mounds.
The operation has also seen soldiers installing new metal barriers and iron gates, sparking concerns over a long-term tightening of control in the already divided city. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported at least seven arrests during the raid.
The area near the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is less than half a kilometre away from the site of clashes, is under particular pressure following recent Israeli moves to strip Palestinian authority over the site. The mosque's director was banned for 15 days, and management of the site is now being transferred to the Israeli Civil Administration.
The operation comes amid escalating violence in the region. Since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with about 11,000 injured and some 20,500 arrested, according to official Palestinian sources.
Eyewitnesses describe the scene as one of total lockdown, with an intensive deployment of occupation forces, including bulldozers and tracked armoured vehicles. Video footage verified by local sources shows Israeli forces closing the Tariq bin Ziyad roundabout with cement blocks and earth mounds.
The operation has also seen soldiers installing new metal barriers and iron gates, sparking concerns over a long-term tightening of control in the already divided city. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported at least seven arrests during the raid.
The area near the Ibrahimi Mosque, which is less than half a kilometre away from the site of clashes, is under particular pressure following recent Israeli moves to strip Palestinian authority over the site. The mosque's director was banned for 15 days, and management of the site is now being transferred to the Israeli Civil Administration.
The operation comes amid escalating violence in the region. Since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with about 11,000 injured and some 20,500 arrested, according to official Palestinian sources.
it's like they're just escalating the situation for God's sake! The fact that hundreds of soldiers are locking down an entire city is just ridiculous 
and what really gets my goat is that it's not even about stopping terror, it's just about maintaining control. They're using cement blocks to close off roundabouts? Come on! It looks like a scene from some bad war movie 
And don't even get me started on the arrests... seven people caught up in this mess 
. Can't we just talk to each other instead of resorting to violence and intimidation? The situation is already so complicated, it feels like they're just making things worse with their actions 
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. And what's really concerning is that this operation comes right after those Israeli moves to strip Palestinian authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque... it feels like they're just trying to exert more control and dictate who gets to decide what happens in Hebron.
, you know? Road trips are so relaxing, and you can just stop whenever you want at a random diner or something. Like, have you ever tried those weird roadside attractions that are like, giant statues of chickens or something? 
They're hilarious! Anyway, back to this operation in Hebron... it's crazy how tensions are escalating. I feel bad for the people living there, but at the same time, you can understand why Israel would want to crack down on terror infrastructure. 
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They'd cry and talk about how unfair it all was. Back then, I didn't understand what was going on, but now I'm older and still trying to wrap my head around it.
. And what really gets me is that we're still living in an era where people are dying and being arrested left and right because of politics.
. the fact that they're imposing a lockdown on Hebron, stripping Palestinians of their authority over their own land, it's just infuriating 
. and what about the international community? where's the action being taken? we need to hold our leaders accountable for this human rights crisis 
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. Can someone explain why they're always building walls and barriers? It feels like they're just making things worse 
. Is it a big deal or something? 
how can u impose a lockdown on an entire city without even trying 2 talk 2 people 
anyways, i feel so bad 4 those innocent ppl caught in the middle of this 
. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like they're gonna find a secret underground army of Palestinian ninjas or something... lol. And seriously, who needs all those soldiers and bulldozers? It's just gonna make the city look like a war zone. Not to mention the arrests, that's just a recipe for more tension and more violence. I bet it'll just end up in more protests and more bloodshed. And what's with all the control measures? Are they worried some Palestinians are gonna escape or something? It's like they're trying to drive them all outta Hebron altogether. I'm not saying I condone any of this, but I think we should be focusing on finding a peaceful solution instead of just throwing more troops and fences around.