RAMALLAH, October 27, 2026 (WAFA) – The UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) expressed on Tuesday grave concern over the situation unfolding in Hebron.
“For nearly a week, residents of Hebron, the largest city in the occupied West Bank, have been living under crippling security conditions” imposed by Israeli occupation forces since 23 October, Roland Friedrich, the Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, posted on X.
“More than 3,000 Palestinians have reportedly been forcibly displaced from their homes as part of a large-scale Israeli security forces operation that has also seen extensive demolitions of houses and private property,” he added.
“A near-total lockdown across large parts of Hebron has severely restricted residents’ freedom of movement and their ability to access critical services.”
Friedrich noted that “these developments bring alarming echoes of the massive displacement witnessed in the northern occupied West Bank in early 2025, where more than 34,000 Palestine refugees from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps remain forcibly displaced over a year later.”
He stressed that “any form of collective punishment is contrary to international law,” and that “all those forcibly displaced must be allowed to return, with their dignity and rights under international law respected,” while protecting their access to essential services.
He pointed out that UNRWA was working closely with other humanitarian partners and the Palestinian Authority to mobilize with the Hebron Governorate and Municipality to respond to urgent needs on the ground, distributing emergency assistance, including blankets, mattresses and pillows, to affected families.
K. F.
