Hebron siege continues for ۱۰th day as Israel threatens wider offensive

Hebron’s economic losses surpass $۳.۸m as Israeli forces demolish West Bank homes and close hundreds of businesses.

Israeli forces are maintaining their siege on Hebron for the ۱۰th consecutive day, threatening to expand their offensive and forcing more Palestinian families from their homes.

The lockdown in the occupied West Bank city was enforced after an attack on October ۲۳ near Hebron in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.

More than ۳,۳۰۰ Palestinians have since been displaced or affected, with homes destroyed and businesses shut, according to the local municipality.

Mayor Yousef al-Jabari told Al Jazeera on Saturday that daily economic losses were estimated to exceed ۱۲ million shekels ($۳.۸m), with more than $۱.۹m worth of damage to infrastructure, along with losses in the health and environmental sectors estimated at about $۱۶۰,۰۰۰.

He said Israeli forces have demolished ۱۵ homes and other structures and forced ۳۲۷ businesses to close. About ۸۰,۰۰۰ students have been unable to attend school for ۱۰ days, he added.

The mayor said Hebron accounts for about ۴۰ percent of the Palestinian economy and the siege amounts to “collective punishment”.

Palestinian families in and around the city fear the army could soon extend its attacks.

Raids and settler attacks

Israeli arrests of Palestinians in Hebron and other cities in the occupied West Bank continued on Sunday.

Israeli forces arrested ۱۰ Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron and seized their vehicle, reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Video shared by Palestinian media and verified by Al Jazeera showed the Israeli military raiding a school run by the United Nations in the Shufat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem.

The United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, said Israeli settlers carried out ۳۹۷ attacks on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank in October, the highest monthly figure since monitoring began in ۲۰۰۶, Wafa said.

Between October ۲۰ and ۲۶, settler attacks targeted ۴۹ Palestinian communities, mostly while Palestinians harvested olives on their land.

Nine children were among ۵۷ Palestinians injured by settlers and Israeli forces: ۳۴ by military gunfire and physical assaults and ۲۳ in settler attacks.

Since the start of ۲۰۱۵, Israeli authorities have issued ۹,۵۱۸ demolition or stop-work notices against Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank, reported the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. The Palestinian government commission added that ۳۴۴ of those notices were given in the first nine months of this year.