Hebron Residents Await Return as IDF Weighs Weekend Pullout

780 families in Hebron are currently living outside their homes after Israeli military orders forced them out late on October 23. Municipal figures cited in a new court filing indicate the number of affected residents could reach 4,969 people. This count is higher than the initial estimate of 2,000 evacuees provided by the Israel Defense Forces. The military entered the western Hebron neighborhoods of Ein Deir Baha and al-Jalda following a deadly Hamas attack on Friday morning.

The IDF stated it occupied the area to address a Hamas clan linked to the attackers. However, the military did not present concrete evidence connecting the majority of the displaced residents to specific crimes. By Sunday and Monday, the IDF recommended allowing the evacuees to return. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that inspections were complete and no clear military reason remained to stay. Netanyahu rejected this advice before the recent elections, prioritizing a hard line against the group responsible for the shooting.

Political analysts suggest the situation may shift this weekend. With the election over, Netanyahu may feel more secure in his political position. This could lead to greater flexibility in following military advice. The High Court of Justice is now involved in the matter. Adalah filed a petition on Thursday on behalf of the Hebron municipality and seven residents. The legal group seeks a temporary order to stop further evacuations and demolitions while the case is heard.

The petition alleges that troops turned some private homes into military positions. It also claims soldiers demolished civilian buildings and required traders to clear their shops quickly. According to the filing, loudspeakers announced the evacuation orders between 12:30 and 1 a.m. on the night of October 23 and 24. Petitioners said residents had insufficient time to prepare. Some families spent the night outside, and others were unable to retrieve their vehicles.

Municipal data shows that blocked access routes have hindered essential services. By Wednesday, approximately 1,200 tons of waste had accumulated in the city because garbage collection was prevented. The petition argues that the scale of the operation violates international humanitarian law. It cites Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which allows temporary evacuation only for safety or military necessity. The law requires residents to return once hostilities end. The legal team contends that barring residents indefinitely risks making the displacement permanent.

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu previously described the operation as a way to exact a price for the attack. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the demolitions a form of deterrence. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel supported this view of punitive intent. Noa Sattath, the group's executive director, said no attack gives the military the right to punish an entire city. The association requested that the military provide the written orders authorizing the measures already taken.

Justice Gila Canfy Steinitz issued an initial decision last Friday. She directed the state to respond to the petition. She also told the government to refrain from changing the existing situation or demolishing additional buildings until a further decision is made. The case names the defense minister, the head of IDF Central Command, the military advocate-general, and the attorney-general as respondents. Petitioners are seeking an urgent hearing to resolve the dispute over the return of residents.

Adalah stated it approached the authorities on Sunday and sent a reminder the following day. The group received no substantive response before filing the petition. The military has destroyed structures it described as illegally built, claiming they made security operations harder. Sources within the IDF said they lacked specific information on how many clan members had records linking them to terror or rock throwing. The operation remains active, and the weekend may bring a decision on whether the troops stay or leave.