Hebron Displacement: 3,100 Residents Evacuated in 'Roar of Judah' Operation

Hebron serves as the most populous governorate in the occupied West Bank and a central hub for Palestinian manufacturing. This week, the city became the site of a large-scale military operation that has uprooted thousands of residents and paused economic activity across the region.

The military campaign, designated as "Roar of Judah," began on Friday following a shooting incident in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. In response, Israeli forces imposed a total lockdown on the city. The operation includes home raids, arrests, and demolitions, targeting what the army described as "terrorist infrastructure."

The timeline of the displacement moved quickly. Days before the current assault, an Israeli court had suspended a long-standing demolition order against the home of Mayar Amrish, a 23-year-old resident of Farsh al-Hawa. Her family had built the three-storey property in 2021, spending approximately 2 million shekels, or $645,000, on construction. Despite the court order, bulldozers arrived to raze the home. Amrish and her family of seven were ordered to leave immediately and were unable to remove their furniture from the 600-square-metre property. They are now staying with relatives.

The impact extends to other neighborhoods, including Deir Baha and al-Jalada. Yousef al-Jabari, the mayor of Hebron, stated that 488 families have been forced to evacuate. The Support and Relief Committee reports that these evacuations affect more than 3,100 people. This group includes over 1,000 children, dozens of elderly residents, and individuals with chronic illnesses. Of the displaced families, 198 are staying with relatives, 19 have rented new accommodation, and 22 have found other housing. Another 177 families report having no safe place to stay.

The economic toll is measurable in shekels and closed factories. Abdo Idris, head of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Hebron, estimated that economic damage has already reached millions of shekels. He warned that losses could rise into the tens of millions as the siege continues. The city's diverse manufacturing base, which includes food processing, leather goods, and stone and marble, faces disruption as workers are prevented from reaching their jobs. The movement of goods and raw materials has been obstructed by the closures.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, 47 Palestinians have been arrested in Hebron since the assault began. Hundreds more have undergone field interrogations. The Commission Against the Wall and Settlements reported that forces demolished a building containing three apartments and damaged commercial premises, including a tile and ceramics company. Around seven dunums, or 0.7 hectares, of land were bulldozed or damaged.

The next phase of the operation involves assessing the damage and managing the displacement. The municipality is working with economic authorities to evaluate the destruction of infrastructure. However, the ongoing siege has prevented officials from accessing some affected areas. The defense minister stated that displaced residents will not be allowed to return until "Hamas infrastructure" in the city is dismantled.