Families in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron are beginning the difficult task of restoring their properties and picking up the pieces of their daily lives following the conclusion of a ten-day Israeli military operation.
The military operation in the al-Jalada neighbourhood began on October 24, exactly a day after Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers nearby. Residents reported that troops gave them merely 20 minutes to evacuate their homes. Families fled with only cash, gold, and vital documents, leaving behind most of their clothing, personal belongings, and family photographs as security forces took control of the area.
After reports surfaced that the military operation had ended, residents and neighbours gathered on Sunday evening in the nearby Wadi al-Karm area, hoping to return. Finding no immediate sign of a withdrawal, they retreated to temporary accommodations overnight. Confirmation of the military’s departure arrived in the early hours of the morning, prompting residents like 35-year-old orthopaedic surgeon Nour al-Natsha to head back toward the neighbourhood at approximately 6am.
Accompanied by his father and two brothers, al-Natsha inspected his property for potential hazards before entering. When they finally stepped inside, they found the doors wide open and the residence turned upside down. Numerous belongings were missing, including a pet bird belonging to al-Natsha’s four-year-old daughter, Ilya. The young girl continues to ask about her pet, named “Natosh,” whose fate remains unknown after soldiers either released it or left its whereabouts unclear.
“When we entered the house, it was a mixture of emotions,” al-Natsha said. “You couldn’t tell whether you were happy to be back home or heartbroken by what had happened to it.”
The ten-day siege affected multiple neighbourhoods across Hebron, forcing widespread evacuations and the closure of local shops and institutions. According to figures previously released by the Hebron Governorate’s Support and Relief Committee, the operation displaced 537 families, comprising approximately 3,300 individuals.
Despite the disarray, missing items, and lingering anxiety, returning residents expressed relief at being back. Sixty-eight-year-old neighbourhood resident Khaled Shawer noted that physical damage and debris can eventually be addressed, emphasizing that the primary concern is regaining stability.
“Everything can be replaced: the destruction, the damage, the dirt, everything,” Shawer said. “But the most important thing is that we have returned to our homes, our paradise on Earth, the place where we find our psychological and physical stability.”
