Displaced families return to Hebron's al-Jalada as Israeli forces withdraw
Displaced families have begun returning to al-Jalada, a neighbourhood in the West Bank city of Hebron, after Israeli forces withdrew in the early hours of Monday, 2 November. The return followed 10 days of military restrictions and evacuations affecting several neighbourhoods in the city.
The operation began after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers nearby on 23 October. The next day, Israeli forces took over al-Jalada. Reuters reported on 24 October that the Israeli military had forced around 1,200 Palestinians to leave their homes in Hebron, and Reuters also reported that Israeli forces had demolished Palestinian buildings, damaged roads and closed checkpoints.
Israel's siege of the city, a military closure that cuts an area off and restricts who can move in and out, was tightened at 10 entrances, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera later reported that almost 5,000 people had been displaced by the operation. The UN humanitarian office, OCHA, has said that displacement figures reported by Hebron Municipality remain under verification.
Displaced families gathered on Sunday evening in the Wadi al-Karm area, close to their homes, and waited until around midnight after reports that the military operation had ended. Israeli military withdrawal was confirmed in the early hours of Monday. Shortly after, at around 6am, Nour al-Natsha set out for al-Jalada.
Al-Natsha is a 35-year-old orthopaedic surgeon, a doctor who treats bone and joint injuries, from Hebron. His family had been given 20 minutes to leave their home, and they were able to take only money, gold and important documents. He returned to check on the house after hearing that Israeli forces had left Hebron.
He found the doors wide open and the house turned upside down. Belongings were missing, including his four-year-old daughter's pet bird, named "Natosh", which had been left inside. His daughter is named Ilya.
Al Jazeera also reported that Hebron's economic losses could surpass $20 million, citing the demolition of homes and the closure of hundreds of businesses during the siege.
