The Israeli army continued its siege of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank for a second consecutive day on Saturday, forcing dozens of Palestinians from their homes, according to Palestinian media.
Israeli forces raided the al-Jilda and Deir Bahha areas in central Hebron and placed them under a complete siege, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The army also forced dozens of residents to leave their homes and stand outdoors in the early morning hours, according to the news agency.
The incursion involved the deployment of additional military vehicles and bulldozers, the closure of main entrances and roads leading to Hebron, and the isolation of the city from surrounding areas, Wafa said.
It said Israeli forces also raided and searched homes, detained dozens of residents and subjected them to field interrogations before releasing them on Saturday morning.
Separately, Israeli forces detained 19 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank.
The arrests included two Palestinians from the Hindaza area and al-Azza refugee camp in Bethlehem governorate, 16 from Nablus governorate and a young man from Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho.
The occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, has seen an escalation in Israeli military attacks and violence by occupiers since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.
The attacks have included killings and arrests of Palestinians, demolitions of homes and other structures, the burning of mosques and vehicles, and the levelling of agricultural land.
They have also involved restrictions on farmers' access to their fields, the displacement of Palestinian communities and the expansion of settlements.
On Friday, the Israeli army claimed that two Palestinians were killed in a shootout with Israeli forces.
The army alleged that the Palestinians had opened fire at illegal Israeli settlers in Hebron, wounding five people.
Following the reported shooting, the Israeli army announced on Friday a complete closure of Hebron and several surrounding towns.
