In a move that has rendered the city’s southern districts paralyzed by the Israeli military’s “large-scale” operation in Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank.
The Israeli army and Shin Bet confirmed the offensive in a joint statement released on Monday, saying it would “thwart terrorist infrastructure” and seize weapons from the Jebel Johar area.
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The army forewarned that the operation would last “several days.”
“Defensive Shield” strategies
Montaser Nassar, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic on the ground, described a total lockdown state.
Hebron, the so-called southern region, has been closed off since dawn, according to Nassar. Bulldozers and tracked armoured vehicles are frequently deployed as occupation forces, according to the statement.
He noted the significance of the heavy equipment and said, “We witnessed tracked armoured vehicles. The last time we saw these in Hebron was during]Israel’s] Operation Defensive Shield.”
Dividing the Divided
As soldiers installed new metal barriers, Nassar observed, citing “counterterrorism goals,” as a sign of a long-term tightening of control.
Iron gates were introduced recently, and this is where it’s dangerous, Nassar said. What appears to be happening on the ground is a prelude to dividing the already divided, one might say.
Israeli forces used cement blocks and earth mounds to close the Tariq bin Ziyad roundabout, according to local sources’ videotape. At least seven arrests were reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Mosque under fire
In response to recent Israeli moves to oust Palestinian authority over the site, Nassar pointed out that the raid is occurring less than a kilometer from the Ibrahimi Mosque.
According to Nassar, the decision to place a 15-day ban on the Ibrahimi Mosque’s director follows a transfer of site management to the Israeli Civil Administration.
Source: Aljazeera
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