The Israeli military has launched what it describes as a “large-scale” operation in Hebron, a major Palestinian city in the southern occupied West Bank, deploying hundreds of soldiers supported by armoured vehicles, bulldozers, and heavy equipment. The raid has placed large parts of the city under lockdown and severely restricted civilian movement.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the Israeli army and the internal security agency Shin Bet confirmed the operation, saying it was targeting what they described as “terror infrastructure” in the Jebel Johar area of Hebron. Israeli authorities said the raid is expected to continue for several days.

City Under Lockdown as Troops and Armour Deployed

According to reporters on the ground, Israeli forces imposed a strict curfew on Hebron’s southern neighbourhoods beginning before dawn. Streets were sealed off, shops closed, and residents confined to their homes as soldiers fanned out across the area.

Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Montaser Nassar, reporting from Hebron, described an overwhelming military presence.

“We are in the so-called southern region of Hebron, which has been under a curfew since dawn,” Nassar said.

“There is an intensive deployment of occupation forces, including bulldozers and tracked armoured vehicles.”

The scale and type of equipment deployed stood out to residents and observers alike.

“The last time we saw tracked armoured vehicles in Hebron was during the second Intifada, during Operation Defensive Shield,” Nassar noted, referring to Israel’s sweeping military campaign in the early 2000s.

New Barriers and Long-Term Control Measures

While Israeli officials framed the operation as a counterterrorism raid, journalists and Palestinian officials said actions on the ground suggest longer-term measures aimed at reshaping movement and control within the city.

Nassar reported that Israeli forces were installing new iron gates and metal barriers, raising fears of further fragmentation of Hebron, a city already divided into multiple zones under Israeli military control.

“They brought in iron gates a short while ago, and this is the dangerous part,” he said.

“It appears to be a prelude to dividing the already divided.”

Verified video footage showed Israeli forces blocking the Tariq bin Ziyad roundabout using cement blocks and earth mounds, effectively cutting off key transit routes between neighbourhoods.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that at least seven Palestinians were arrested during the raid, though Israeli authorities have not confirmed arrest figures.

Operation Near Ibrahimi Mosque Raises Alarm

The military operation is taking place less than 500 metres from the Ibrahimi Mosque, a highly sensitive religious site revered by both Muslims and Jews and long considered a flashpoint for violence.

According to Nassar, the raid follows recent Israeli decisions affecting the mosque’s administration, including the temporary banning of its Palestinian director and the transfer of management authority to the Israeli Civil Administration.

“This comes after a decision to ban the director of the Ibrahimi Mosque for 15 days,” Nassar said, warning that the move further erodes Palestinian control over the site.

Palestinian officials and rights groups have repeatedly warned that changes to the mosque’s status could inflame tensions in Hebron and beyond.

Hebron and the Wider West Bank Escalation

Hebron is one of the most heavily militarised cities in the West Bank, with Israeli settlements embedded within Palestinian neighbourhoods and a constant military presence. Raids are frequent, but large-scale operations involving armoured vehicles are comparatively rare.

Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, violence in the occupied West Bank has surged sharply. According to official Palestinian sources:

• More than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed
• Around 11,000 injured
• Approximately 20,500 arrested

Human rights organisations say many raids increasingly resemble collective punishment, citing curfews, movement restrictions, home demolitions, and mass arrests.

Operation Expected to Continue

The Israeli army has said the Hebron raid will last several days, but has not specified an end date or clarified whether the newly installed gates and barriers will be removed.

As the operation continues, residents remain confined indoors, and local officials warn of serious humanitarian and economic consequences if the lockdown is prolonged.