The United Nations has raised serious concerns over Israel’s ongoing military operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, warning that the forced displacement of Palestinians and threats to clear entire neighbourhoods could amount to ethnic cleansing.
The municipality of Hebron, the largest city in the Palestinian territories, said 3,189 people had been forced to leave their homes as a result of the continuing operation.
The offensive followed an attack on Friday in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Hebron, days before Israel’s Tuesday elections. Both attackers were killed in an exchange of fire.
Following the incident, Israeli forces entered Ein Deir Baha, the neighbourhood where the assailants lived, and ordered residents to leave their homes after packing their belongings.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Israel’s operation had already displaced thousands of Palestinians, destroyed residential and commercial properties, and severely restricted residents’ freedom of movement.
He described the measures as an aggressive campaign that raised serious concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, urging that such actions be brought to an end.
Türk said restrictions had confined many Palestinians to their homes and surrounding neighbourhoods, further limiting their ability to move freely.
He also expressed concern over statements by senior Israeli officials, saying they suggested that the measures were punitive and intended to create fear among the population.
The UN rights chief stressed that displaced residents must be permitted to return to their homes. He called on Israel to provide compensation and reparations for unlawful evictions, demolitions and the resulting displacement.
Türk warned that collective punishment constituted a serious violation of international law, adding that threats to empty and erase entire neighbourhoods raised grave concerns about possible ethnic cleansing.
Separately, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep alarm over Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank during remarks in Cairo.
He said Palestinians continued to face persistent evictions and displacement from their lands, while violence by Israeli settlers was increasing.
Guterres warned that the situation was creating an increasingly coercive environment, with the threat of ethnic cleansing becoming more pronounced, and called for an end to the violence and displacement.
He emphasised that lasting peace in the Middle East could not be achieved without recognising the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination.
