IDF ends controversial 11-day Hebron operation that followed deadly shooting attack

The Israeli military on Monday morning wrapped up an 11-day operation in Hebron, launched following a deadly shooting attack at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the West Bank city, after the political leadership finally approved the withdrawal of troops.

During the attack on October 23, Hebron residents Mohammad Jaaba and Firas Jaaba killed Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, and wounded three other troops, before they were shot dead.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces said it demolished illegally built structures in the vicinity of the checkpoint and raided the neighborhood where the two gunmen lived to raze their homes, while also operating in other areas in the city.

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The operation displaced some 3,300 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Authority’s WAFA news agency. Palestinian media outlets on Monday published footage of Hebron residents returning to their homes.

An Israeli flag could be seen at the entrance to one of the houses, apparently after soldiers had been stationed there. Muhannad al-Tamimi, whose house was occupied by soldiers since the operation began, told AFP his family came back to a trashed apartment with furniture and clothing strewn on the floors, mattresses overturned and a child’s bicycle broken.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz had vowed that the army would “destroy” the Hebron neighborhood from which the gunmen hailed, similar to operations in northern West Bank refugee camps in the past two years. Despite the promises by Netanyahu and Katz, days ahead of Israel’s national election, the Hebron raid was significantly more limited.

It was reported last week that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told Netanyahu that there was no operational reason to continue the Hebron raid and that there was no legal rationale to keep Palestinians from returning home.

Zamir recommended that Netanyahu end the operation just two days after it began, but the premier rejected the suggestion.

On Sunday night, following last week’s election, Katz finally gave the military approval to end the raid and withdraw troops.

While the IDF did not issue an official statement, a military official confirmed to reporters that the IDF withdrew troops from the neighborhood where the two gunmen lived and wrapped up the operation.

“Following the completion of all operational activities, forces withdrew from the neighborhood in Hebron this morning,” the official said.

The IDF reported detaining dozens of suspects for questioning and capturing just four firearms after scanning hundreds of buildings. An underground excavation near one of the gunmen’s homes was also located by troops.

Local officials in Hebron reported that the army demolished other homes, shops, roads and factories in the city, including those next to the site of the attack, which the army said had been built without permits in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli control.

Nurit Yohanan and Agencies contributed to this report.

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