The UN expressed deep concern on Friday over intensifying violence as Israel imposed sweeping closures across the West Bank following a deadly attack in Hebron.
West Bank Closures and Hebron Attack
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and at least five others sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire near a military checkpoint located outside the city of Hebron. News reports confirmed that the two Palestinian attackers were also killed during the incident. In response to the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commanded that Hebron be sealed off. He additionally pledged house-to-house raids, home demolitions, and reportedly threatened a broader assault on a scale not witnessed since the Six-Day War. This marks the fourth time within a single month that Israel has instituted restrictions across the entire territory. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated at the New York noon briefing that Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply worried by the restrictions, home demolitions, and potential displacement in Hebron, emphasizing that these closures severely restrict freedom of movement, basic services, and livelihoods for Palestinians.
Impact on Harvest and Settler Violence
Mayy El Sheikh, spokesperson for the UN human rights office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described the lockdown as another episode of suffocating measures creating unbearable living conditions and forming part of a pattern of collective punishment. Following the Friday attack, the entrances and exits of Hebron were shut, and the Ibrahimi Mosque was closed, preventing worshippers from attending Friday prayers. The lockdown coincides with the peak of the olive harvest, and movement restrictions are already stopping thousands of Palestinian farmers from accessing their olives, threatening devastating effects on the season. Furthermore, the UN human rights office documented over 160 settler attacks during the initial two weeks of October alone, which involved live ammunition, arson, crop theft, and damage to olive groves. Settlers also targeted European Union diplomats, and a Washington Post photojournalist suffered a severe assault from masked settlers while covering the harvest near Ramallah a week prior. António Guterres condemned the violence stemming from record settler attacks against Palestinians in 2026, reminding Israel of its obligation as the occupying power to protect the population and hold wrongdoers accountable. He additionally raised concerns regarding civilian deaths, including children, in Gaza and severe aid limitations ahead of winter, while urging all sides to immediately halt violence, exercise restraint, and avoid actions that might further escalate tensions.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
