Hebron siege enters 10th day amid mounting economic damage and expanding arrests

Israeli forces have kept a siege on the West Bank city of Hebron for ten consecutive days, threatening to widen the offensive and prompting further displacement of Palestinian families.

The lockdown was imposed after an attack on October 23 near Hebron that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers.

According to the local municipality, more than 3,300 Palestinians have been displaced or otherwise affected, with homes destroyed and businesses forced to shut.

Mayor Yousef al‑Jabari told Al Jazeera on Saturday that daily economic losses are estimated at over 12 million shekels ($3.8 million). He added that damage to infrastructure exceeds $1.9 million, while losses in health and environmental sectors total about $160,000.

The mayor reported that Israeli forces have demolished 15 homes and other structures and compelled the closure of 327 businesses. He also noted that about 80,000 students have missed school for ten days.

Al‑Jabari emphasized that Hebron contributes roughly 40 percent of the Palestinian economy and described the siege as “collective punishment.”

Palestinian families in and around Hebron fear the army may soon broaden its attacks.

Arrests of Palestinians continued on Sunday, with Israeli forces detaining 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron and seizing their vehicle, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Video verified by Al Jazeera showed Israeli troops raiding a United Nations‑run school in the Shufat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israeli settlers carried out 397 attacks on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in October, the highest monthly total since monitoring began in 2006.

Between October 20 and 26, settler attacks targeted 49 Palestinian communities, many while residents were harvesting olives.

In total, 57 Palestinians were injured, including nine children. Injuries were caused by 34 incidents of military gunfire and physical assaults and 23 settler attacks.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission noted that since 2015, Israeli authorities have issued 9,518 demolition or stop‑work notices against Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank, with 344 notices issued in the first nine months of this year.

As the siege persists, the economic and humanitarian toll on Hebron continues to mount, raising concerns about broader regional stability.