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The UN said it was deeply concerned about escalating violence in the occupied West Bank after Israel imposed a closure following a deadly attack in Hebron. According to UN News, the attack on Friday, October 23, 2026, killed two Israeli soldiers and the two Palestinian attackers. The restrictions subsequently imposed were considered to have a widespread impact on Palestinian life.
Attack and closure of the area
According to news reports cited by UN News, gunmen opened fire near a military checkpoint outside Hebron. Two Israeli soldiers were killed and at least five others were injured, while the two Palestinian attackers were also killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the closure of Hebron and promised house-to-house searches and home demolitions. He was also reported to have threatened a broader offensive on a scale not seen since the Six-Day War. UN News noted that restrictions across the area had been imposed four times in the past month.
Mayy El Sheikh, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said all entrances to and exits from Hebron were closed after the attack. The Ibrahimi Mosque was also closed, preventing residents from attending Friday prayers.
Concerns for civilians
At a briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply concerned about the closure. The concerns also included reports of home demolitions and the possible displacement of residents in Hebron.
Dujarric said the closure severely restricted Palestinians’ freedom of movement, access to basic services, and livelihoods. El Sheikh described the lockdown as part of a series of measures that are making Palestinian life increasingly difficult.
According to El Sheikh, the measures follow a pattern of collective punishment when Palestinians commit violence against Israeli settlers or soldiers. She said similar incidents in the past had been followed by area lockdowns, increased raids, and arbitrary detentions.
Olive harvest also affected
The movement restrictions also came as Palestinian farmers were in the midst of the olive harvest season. El Sheikh said thousands of farmers had been prevented from reaching their olive trees. The situation was expected to have a severe impact on this season’s harvest.
The UN Human Rights Office documented more than 160 settler attacks in the first two weeks of October alone. The recorded incidents included the use of live ammunition, arson, theft of agricultural produce, and damage to olive groves.
UN News also reported that European Union diplomats had been targeted by settlers. A week before the report, a Washington Post photojournalist was severely assaulted by masked settlers while covering the harvest near Ramallah.
Call to end the violence
Guterres condemned the violence, which the UN said was fueled by a record number of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2026. He recalled Israel’s obligation as the occupying power to protect the Palestinian population from such attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable.
In addition to the situation in the West Bank, Guterres remained deeply concerned about civilian deaths in Gaza, including children, as well as severe aid restrictions ahead of winter. He called on all parties to immediately end all acts of violence, exercise restraint, and avoid steps that could further escalate tensions.
