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An Israeli operation in Hebron in the West Bank has forced more than 3,000 Palestinians to leave their homes since Friday. According to UN News on October 26, 2026, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk said the measures implemented during the operation raise serious concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force.
Thousands of residents evacuated
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said humanitarian partners were helping local authorities in Hebron meet the needs of more than 3,000 people evacuated by Israeli forces. The displacement occurred ahead of Israel's general election.
The operation began after two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on an Israeli military checkpoint near Hebron on Friday. The attack killed two soldiers and injured three others. Both attackers were also killed.
Türk said the Israeli operation had destroyed homes and commercial properties and restricted residents' freedom of movement. He said the lockdown had left many people confined to their homes and immediate neighborhoods.
Warning over collective punishment
Türk called for an immediate end to measures he described as sweeping and disproportionate. He said statements by several senior Israeli government officials indicated that the actions were punitive and designed to instill fear. His assessment was part of the UN human rights chief's statement on the operation in Hebron.
He called for all displaced residents to be allowed to return home. Türk also urged Israel to ensure compensation and remedies for unlawful evictions and demolitions, including the resulting displacement.
According to Türk, collective punishment is a serious violation of international law. He warned that threats to empty and erase entire neighborhoods also raise serious concerns about ethnic cleansing.
Violence spreads across the West Bank
OCHA reported that the UN and its humanitarian partners were responding to new displacement in both the West Bank and Gaza. In the West Bank, settler attacks continued throughout the weekend and disrupted Palestinians' olive harvest.
Since the beginning of 2026, OCHA has recorded more than 2,000 settler attacks that caused casualties or property damage. According to the UN humanitarian agency, that figure is higher than in previous years covered by the available records.
Humanitarian situation in Gaza
In Gaza, humanitarian partners warned that Palestinian families near the line referred to as the “yellow line” continued to face reported arson attacks. OCHA said new marker blocks had been seen in Ash Shuja’iyyeh and parts of Deir al Balah. Since Friday, a UN site in Deir al Balah was also reportedly fired upon, along with three separate shooting incidents around three UN schools and near a UN convoy.
UN teams visiting Ash Shuja’iyyeh in Gaza City identified at least nine families who lost their shelter after tents were burned on Sunday night. The incident followed another fire at the same site the previous week, which displaced about 200 families.
On the same day, an independent commission of inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council presented a report to the UN General Assembly. The commission accused Israel of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and continuing to commit genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the findings and described the report as part of a disinformation campaign aimed at demonizing the country.
