Palestine News Today: Hebron Under Siege as Israeli Forces Displace Thousands Ahead of Election
25 October 2026. Palestinian families in Hebron are enduring a second day of military lockdown and mass displacement, as Israeli forces impose sweeping restrictions across the occupied West Bank ahead of Tuesday's election. Meanwhile, Gaza's ceasefire remains fragile amid continued violence and deepening hunger, even as solidarity with Palestinians grows across Latin America.
Israeli forces seal off Hebron, displace thousands
Israeli forces have sealed all entrances to Hebron and forcibly displaced around 2,200 Palestinians from their homes, according to Middle East Eye and Anadolu Agency. The city's mayor, Yousef Jaabari, described Hebron as a disaster zone under full siege, with no one able to enter or leave, and accused Israel of collective punishment following a shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers on Friday. BBC News reports the crackdown has included the demolition of Palestinian homes, while Anadolu Agency says the municipality fears up to 2,500 more residents could be displaced as the operation continues into its second day.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye, BBC News, Anadolu Agency
Defence minister ties return home to Hamas disarmament
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has confirmed that around 2,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes in Hebron, according to Anadolu Agency. He said displaced residents would not be permitted to return until what he called Hamas infrastructure is dismantled, raising fears among Palestinians of indefinite displacement with no clear timeline for return.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Rights group says Israel waging ethnic cleansing in Hebron
Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem has accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Hebron, Anadolu Agency reports. The group warned that Israel is extending a displacement model already used to uproot more than 33,000 Palestinians in the northern West Bank, and urged the international community to act.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Hundreds of raids and child casualties reported across West Bank
The Israeli army says it has raided 400 sites across the West Bank and detained dozens of Palestinians, according to Anadolu Agency. Thirteen Palestinians, including six children, were injured in the raids. Separately, Middle East Eye reports that six Palestinian children were treated for suffocation after Israeli soldiers fired tear gas in Halhul, north of Hebron, with nine people in total affected by Red Crescent teams.</br>
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye
Israel to shut West Bank crossings for election day
BBC News reports that Israel will close West Bank crossings on election day as part of an escalating crackdown restricting Palestinian movement. Middle East Eye adds that Palestinian labourers holding work permits will be barred from settlements and industrial zones, with a complete ban on entry and exit of workers across the West Bank and Jordan Valley during the restricted period.
Sources: BBC News, Middle East Eye
Gaza ceasefire violations leave four Palestinians dead
Four Palestinians, including two women and a child, were killed in the latest Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire, according to Anadolu Agency, which cited medical sources. Eight others were injured in attacks across the Palestinian enclave, underlining the fragility of the truce.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Hunger deepens in Gaza as bakeries run out of flour
Al Jazeera reports that bakeries across Gaza are struggling to find flour, leaving people desperate for bread amid severe hunger. The shortage highlights the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe facing nearly a million displaced Palestinians, who also face dire sanitary conditions and water shortages, as reported by The Guardian.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Guardian
Palestinians fear Gaza's suffering overshadowed by Israeli election
The Guardian reports that Palestinians in Gaza fear their humanitarian catastrophe has become campaign fodder in Israel's election, as rival candidates Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas rule. Nearly 75,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with Gaza's suffering largely absent from the campaign debate despite the territory being reduced to rubble.
Sources: The Guardian
Chile establishes annual day of solidarity with Palestine
Chile has passed a law formally establishing 7 January as the Day of Chilean-Palestinian Friendship and Solidarity, according to Middle East Monitor. The move comes sixteen years after Chile recognised the State of Palestine, with the first official commemoration due to take place in January 2027.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
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