WarBrief Live | October 24, 2026 | Conflict Zones
Israeli forces sealed off much of Hebron and began demolishing buildings in the city on October 24, 2026, a day after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack at a checkpoint nearby. About 1,200 Palestinians have been displaced, according to a Palestinian official cited by Reuters, and a wider West Bank closure is possible days before Israel’s October 27 election.
Overview
On October 23, 2026, two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a military checkpoint near Hebron, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three others, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli forces shot and killed both gunmen. The IDF said the gunmen’s vehicle held a large quantity of ammunition, which Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said indicated preparations for a larger-scale attack.
Within hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a cordon around Hebron and told the military to prepare for a complete closure of the West Bank. He later appeared to scale back that language, saying he would consider a cordon around Hebron and the nearby city of Halhul, potentially extending it to other areas. The scope of the wider closure therefore remains unclear.
Key actors
Israel Defense Forces and Israeli government. The IDF, with the Shin Bet, Border Police and Judea Regional Brigade, is conducting the operation. Netanyahu has framed it as following the model used in West Bank refugee camps in early 2025, saying troops will go house to house, remove weapons and destroy what he described as terrorist infrastructure.
Palestinian Authority and Hebron municipality. The Palestinian Authority criticized the operation as collective punishment. Hebron’s mayor, Yousef Zouhair Al-Jabari, told Reuters that about 1,200 Palestinians had been displaced and about 1,300 more faced losing their homes. He said the military had demolished shops, factories, homes and roads in the city, and described the response as disproportionate.
Hamas. Hamas praised the October 23 attack in a statement but did not claim responsibility for it. That distinction matters: praise is not a claim of responsibility, and no group has claimed the shooting.
Palestinian detainee advocates. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said Israeli forces arrested around 70 Palestinians on October 23 and 24. Israeli officials have not commented on any arrests, so that figure remains attributed, not confirmed by Israel.
Recent developments
- October 23, 2026: Two gunmen open fire at a military checkpoint near Hebron, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding three others. Both gunmen are shot dead. The IDF says their vehicle held a large quantity of ammunition.
- October 23, 2026: Netanyahu orders a cordon of Hebron and preparations for a complete West Bank closure after an emergency Security Cabinet meeting. Demolitions begin on Friday afternoon in the Farsh al-Hawa area of Hebron.
- October 23-24, 2026: The IDF, Shin Bet, Border Police and Judea Regional Brigade launch a counterterrorism operation in the Hebron area, conducting searches for weapons and infrastructure and questioning dozens of suspects, per a joint statement reported by Times Now.
- October 24, 2026: All gates leading in and out of Hebron are impassable by car, according to local checkpoint monitors cited by the Associated Press and the Times of Israel. Residents cross on foot, and the Palestinian news outlet WAFA reported that troops forced dozens of residents to evacuate homes in some Hebron neighborhoods and closed all entrances and roads into the city.
- October 24, 2026: Reuters reports that the operation is concentrated in the Al-Jaladah and Ein Deir Baha neighborhoods near the checkpoint at Hebron’s entrance, with demolitions planned. The IDF described the operation as focused and limited to the area from which the attackers operated, and said it was expected to last several days.
Current status
As of October 24, Hebron is under a tight cordon while a full West Bank closure remains only a prospect. For residents, the practical effects are already severe: closures around Hebron have grown increasingly common, disrupting travel to work, school and medical care. The Associated Press described a mother waiting behind a closed gate as her 11-year-old daughter crossed on foot to reach a hospital appointment in nearby Dura.
Those displacement figures come from Palestinian officials and are not yet independently verified. The wider context is Israel’s general election on October 27, 2026, the first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, with security central to the campaign. For the October 23 attack and the initial lockdown order, see our report on the Hebron checkpoint shooting. Broader context on the vote is in our Israel elections preview, and all conflict-zone profiles are collected on the conflict zones hub.
What to watch
First, whether Netanyahu’s full West Bank closure is actually imposed, or whether restrictions stay limited to the Hebron and Halhul cordon. Second, whether displacement grows toward the mayor’s warning of 1,300 more losing their homes, and whether monitors confirm the scale. Third, whether Israeli officials confirm or dispute the reported figure of around 70 arrests. Fourth, whether the operation affects the October 27 vote. And whether any group claims the attack.
Sources
- Reuters: Around 1,200 Palestinians are displaced in Hebron as Israel begins military operation
- Arab News (Associated Press): Israel imposes closures across a West Bank city after attacks
- Times of Israel: Palestinians in Hebron report widespread closures, blocked roads amid IDF op in West Bank city
- Times Now: Israel begins demolitions in West Bank after deadly attack
