Hebron lockdown displaces 2,000 Palestinians as UN warns of collective punishment

The UN described the operation’s sweeping measures as a source of grave concern. It called for an end to the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force.

An Israeli operation in Hebron has displaced more than 2,000 Palestinians since Friday, according to a UN statement. Homes and commercial properties have been demolished, and residents have been deprived of the ability to move freely.

The lockdown confines many people to their homes and nearby neighbourhoods. Statements by senior Israeli officials suggest the measures are punitive and intended to instil fear, the UN said. The operation raises grave concerns about unnecessary and disproportionate use of force.

The UN called for the measures to end and for displaced residents to be allowed to return home. It said Israel must provide compensation and reparation for unlawful evictions, demolitions and the displacement they caused. The statement warned that collective punishment violates international law and that threats to empty entire neighbourhoods raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing.

Lockdown confines residents to their neighbourhoods

The restrictions have sharply limited residents' ability to move around Hebron, leaving many confined to their homes or immediate surroundings. The UN described the operation's sweeping measures as a source of grave concern. It called for an end to the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force.

UN warns against collective punishment

The statement said collective punishment is a grave violation of international law. Threats to empty and erase entire neighbourhoods, it added, raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing. The UN said the punitive nature of the measures suggested by officials' statements was unacceptable.

Displaced residents must be able to return

The UN called for Palestinians displaced by the operation to be allowed to go back to their homes. It urged Israel to provide compensation and reparation for unlawful evictions and demolitions, including the displacement connected to them. The statement said these steps must accompany an end to the restrictions and use of force.