The agency is distributing emergency bedding to affected families as its West Bank director calls for displaced residents to be allowed home with access to essential services.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, is distributing emergency supplies to families affected by Israel’s military operation in Hebron. The agency’s occupied West Bank director, Roland Friedrich, put displacement at nearly 5,000 Palestinians in an October 27 warning, Al Jazeera said in its October 28 account.
Friedrich said a near-total lockdown across large parts of Hebron had severely restricted residents' movement and access to critical services. The lockdown entered its sixth day on October 28.
The operation followed a checkpoint attack in which Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces later killed the gunmen. Friedrich dated the restrictions in Hebron to October 23.
Earlier accounts give different figures. WAFA’s October 26 account cited Hebron Municipality, while its October 27 account quoted Friedrich as saying more than 3,000 people had reportedly been forcibly displaced.
| Account date | Attribution | People displaced |
|---|---|---|
| October 26, 2026 | Hebron Municipality | Approximately 3,171 |
The operation in the occupied West Bank followed an attack in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded three others.
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| October 27, 2026 | Friedrich, quoted by WAFA | More than 3,000 reportedly forcibly displaced |
| October 28, 2026 | UNRWA’s October 27 warning, described by Al Jazeera | Nearly 5,000 |
It is unclear whether the estimates cover the same areas and counting periods. The municipality said residents had been forced out particularly in Deir Bahha and Al-Jalda, while hundreds of others were trapped in homes in nearby neighbourhoods and prevented from leaving.
Friedrich also said the operation had involved extensive demolition of houses and private property.
Friedrich compared Hebron with displacement in the northern occupied West Bank in early 2025. More than 34,000 Palestinian refugees from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps remained forcibly displaced over a year later, he said, calling the parallels alarming.
Friedrich said UNRWA was working with humanitarian partners and the Palestinian Authority, coordinating with Hebron Governorate and Hebron Municipality to meet urgent needs. Emergency assistance included blankets, mattresses and pillows for affected families.
He said collective punishment was contrary to international law and called for all forcibly displaced residents to be allowed to return, with their dignity, legal rights and access to essential services protected.
The temporary order follows destruction begun after a deadly checkpoint attack; a petition challenges the demolitions under international and Israeli law.
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