A severe West Bank Hebron crackdown by Israeli forces has forced more than 3,000 people from their homes, prompting UN human rights chief Volker Türk to warn of serious concerns regarding ethnic cleansing. The military operation began following an incident on Friday where two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint near Hebron, killing two soldiers and wounding three others. Both gunmen were also killed in the exchange. In response, Israeli forces launched sweeping measures that involved demolishing homes and commercial properties, restricting freedom of movement, and confining local residents to their immediate neighborhoods. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, stated that aid partners are currently working to assist local authorities in meeting the urgent needs of the evacuated population. Mr. Türk described the actions as an unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, noting that senior Israeli government officials indicated the measures were punitive and intended to induce fear. He emphasized that collective punishment violates international law and demanded that all displaced individuals be allowed to return home, alongside proper compensation and reparations for unlawful demolitions and evictions.
Continued Violence and Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Beyond the situation in Hebron, independent UN human rights investigators released a report on Monday stating that Israel has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ongoing acts of genocide in Gaza. Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, stated that the intentional destruction and killing in the West Bank form part of a wider strategy to displace Palestinians. Meanwhile, OCHA reported that settler attacks across the West Bank continued over the weekend, disrupting the olive harvest and bringing the total number of recorded settler attacks causing casualties or property damage to over 2,000 since the beginning of 2026. In Gaza, families near the yellow line face continuous arson attacks, and recent incidents have affected UN facilities, schools, and convoys. Additionally, the World Food Programme announced that funding shortages have forced a one-third reduction in food assistance for approximately 500,000 hungry people in the Gaza Strip as winter approaches. The Israeli permanent mission in Geneva rejected the commission’s findings, calling the report a misinformation campaign designed to demonize the state.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
