Hebron governor says Israeli forces withdraw from city after 10-day siege

DEVELOPING STORY,

Governor Khaled Dudin says families who were forced from their homes can return.

The governor of Hebron says Israeli forces have withdrawn from the city in the southern occupied West Bank after a 10-day siege.

“Palestinian security forces have taken full control of the area following the Israeli withdrawal,” Governor Khaled Dudin announced on Monday.

He said that families who had been forced to leave their homes could now return.

“Relevant authorities and Palestinian security forces are monitoring developments on the ground and working to provide the necessary conditions for residents to return safely,” the governor said.

The Israeli military imposed a siege on Hebron on October 23 after a shooting attack by two Palestinians that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others. Israeli forces later killed the two attackers.

During the 10-day operation, Israeli forces imposed closures on the city and surrounding villages, seizing Palestinian homes in some areas and converting them into military posts.

The operation also involved forced displacement, demolitions of homes, other structures and commercial properties, and damage to infrastructure.

More than 3,300 Palestinians were displaced or otherwise affected, particularly in Al-Jalda and Ein Deir Baha, while 15 homes and other structures were demolished, according to the Hebron Governorate.

The governorate said the operation also caused damage to the local economy and infrastructure and disrupted education.

More to come…