Palestinians Displaced as Israeli Military Raids Hebron

Thousands of Palestinians remain displaced for a fourth consecutive

day after the Israeli army forced them from their homes in central

Hebron, in the southern occupied West Bank.

Hundreds of families were forced to leave on foot in the early

hours of

Saturday without prior notice. They have no idea

when they will be allowed to return.

Tahseen Ju'beh, a 44-year-old father of four, is among

them. His family is now sheltering at a

relative's home.

My children don't understand what's happening.

They don't go to school anymore. They miss their bedrooms and

toys. It's been hell. We are not working,

sleeping, or able to go about our lives.

The mass displacement was ordered after a shooting operation by

two

Palestinian men at an Israeli military checkpoint in Hebron

city on Friday. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and

several others wounded. The two Palestinians were also

killed by the military at the scene.

59-year-old Hamoude Skaffi was forced out of his home, along with

his family of eight.

At 1:00 AM, they shouted through the loudspeakers,

calling on us to

leave. We refused, until they broke down the doors,

raided our building, and forced us out at gunpoint.

We're staying with our relatives now. It's very difficult.

Since the shooting, Israel has enforced a siege on Hebron for

the fourth

consecutive day, the largest city in the occupied West

Bank,

with over 250,000 residents. The

military has raided hundreds of homes, interrogated

hundreds of residents, and detained over 80 others.

Residents have also reported widespread vandalism and destruction

of property. Multiple buildings and stores were also

demolished, while over 10 people were wounded from physical

assault and tear gas.

This is a legal crime against the Palestinian people, the crime of

collective punishment, which is barred under all international

laws. The occupation is facing zero accountability

for its actions.

The forced displacement is part of a wider military crackdown

across the occupied West Bank. As Israelis head to the

polls on Tuesday, Palestinians here in the occupied West

Bank

remain under violent military occupation, with no say

over the political decisions shaping their lives.

Hebron's mass displacement lays bare a stark contradiction:

elections cannot be regarded as a measure of democracy while

millions live under military rule.

Zaina Tahhan to RT World, Ramallah, the occupied West

Bank.