Judea Brigade Demolishes Hebron Sites After Fatal Ambush
The IDF cleared 200 locations and displaced 2,000 residents from the Ja'aba clan area following the Friday death of two soldiers at Yehuda Junction.
By Fatima Zayed ·
The confrontation between the Israeli military and the Ja'aba clan in Hebron escalated on Saturday as troops demolished illegally constructed buildings near the city's northern entrance. This action followed a deadly ambush on Friday that killed two soldiers and forced the evacuation of approximately 2,000 residents from the densely populated al-Jalda and Ein Dir-Baha neighborhoods.
The immediate trigger for the operation was the Friday shooting at Yehuda Junction, which claimed the lives of St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem. The military identified the gunmen as Hamouda and Firas al-Ja'aba, both members of the Hamas-affiliated Ja'aba clan. Officials stated that the demolitions were conducted close to the shooting scene to enforce law and order and eliminate security threats posed by the structures.
The counterterrorism campaign is led by the Judea Brigade, with tactical support from the Duvdevan and Maglan units, the Paratroopers Brigade, and Givati reconnaissance reservists. The Border Police also participate in the operation, while the Shin Bet security agency provides intelligence guidance. This coordinated effort targets the specific area known to be a center of Hamas activity in Hebron.
During the sweep, soldiers searched roughly 200 locations to rule out the presence of weapons and terrorist infrastructure. The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 suspects. Officials explained that evacuating civilians allows troops and Shin Bet personnel to thoroughly inspect family homes and their surroundings for weapons caches, ammunition, and explosives laboratories without endangering the population.
Residents from the affected districts were permitted to leave through designated checkpoints operated by the Shin Bet and the IDF. The military plans to hold a situational assessment on Saturday to determine if the operation will expand. Meanwhile, Brig.-Gen. Kobi Heller, commander of the West Bank Division, has broadened arrest operations and searches in the Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm areas, as well as other locations in Samaria.
The expanded operations coincide with concerns over Hamas leadership efforts abroad to orchestrate attacks ahead of upcoming elections. The military continues to clear sites and detain suspects as it processes the intelligence gathered from the initial 200-location sweep in western Hebron.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
