Israeli Troops Clear Two Hundred Sites in Hebron Following Fatal Ambush
Military forces arrested ten suspects and evacuated roughly 2,000 residents from western Hebron neighborhoods after two soldiers were killed at a junction.
By Alina Ndlovu ·
Residents in western Hebron faced evacuation orders on Saturday as Israeli troops and Civil Administration officials demolished illegally constructed buildings and infrastructure near the city's northern entrance. The clearing of approximately 200 locations occurred as part of a counterterrorism campaign that has displaced roughly 2,000 people from the al-Jalda and Ein Dir-Baha neighborhoods.
The military operation began following a shooting attack on Friday at Yehuda Junction that killed St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. The gunmen, identified by Central Command officials as Hamouda and Firas al-Ja'aba, originated from the Ein Dir-Baha neighborhood and were affiliated with the Ja'aba clan, a group with ties to Hamas. Troops stated that removing the structures near the ambush site would help enforce law and order while eliminating potential security threats.
Soldiers from the Judea Brigade, Duvdevan and Maglan units, the Paratroopers Brigade, Givati reconnaissance reservists, and Border Police conducted the sweep under the guidance of the Shin Bet security agency. During the search of the 200 sites, forces ruled out the presence of active weapons and terrorist activity and arrested 10 suspects. Officials noted that evacuating civilians allows security personnel to thoroughly inspect family homes and surrounding areas for terrorist infrastructure, ammunition, explosives laboratories, and weapons caches without endangering the public.
The Ja'aba clan, from which the attackers came, is described by the security establishment as a center of Hamas activity in Hebron. Civilians who requested to leave the dense urban districts were permitted to exit through checkpoints operated jointly by the Shin Bet and the IDF. The temporary evacuations aim to secure the area while investigations continue into the fatal ambush.
Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, commander of the IDF's West Bank Division, has expanded arrest operations and searches in the Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm areas, as well as other locations in Samaria. These moves coincide with concerns that Hamas leadership abroad may orchestrate additional terrorist attacks ahead of upcoming elections. A situational assessment was scheduled for Saturday to determine if the operation in Hebron would expand further.
The demolition of illegal structures marks the latest phase in the response to the Friday attack. While the immediate threat at Yehuda Junction has been addressed, the military maintains a presence in the western Hebron districts to monitor security conditions.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
