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The United Nations Human Rights Office said it is deeply concerned about Israel's siege of the West Bank city of Hebron, where an "aggressive operation" by Israeli forces has left many residents forcibly displaced over the past six days.

Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said buildings have been demolished, freedom of movement has been severely restricted and many people are trapped in their homes, and called for the operation to end immediately.

Demolitions and tight movement restrictions

Laurence was responding to questions from an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent about the situation in Hebron, which has been under siege and attack by Israeli forces for six days. The office is seriously concerned about the operation and the resulting displacement of many people in the city, Laurence said.

"We understand that many buildings, homes and commercial properties have been destroyed in addition to the forced displacement. Very tight restrictions have been imposed on freedom of movement in the city," Laurence said. "What we see is many people confined to their homes. During this operation they have essentially become prisoners in their own homes."

Messages from Israeli officials make clear that the measures affecting freedom of movement in Hebron are very strict, Laurence said. "This could clearly amount to collective punishment. We have also raised our concerns about ethnic cleansing in relation to these actions," Laurence said.

Siege shows no sign of ending

Laurence described the events in Hebron as "worrying" and said that, based on messages from Israeli officials, there is no sign the pressure will end soon.

"We demand an immediate end to this forced displacement and this pressure in Hebron," Laurence said. Drones were heard flying over the city overnight and were still flying over it today, while the siege of the streets continued, Laurence added. "Israeli soldiers have essentially closed off a large part of the city. You can see the streets are largely deserted."

Call for the occupation to end and residents to return

Laurence stressed that collective punishment is a serious violation of international law and can constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law, and repeated that what Israel is doing in Hebron may amount in itself to ethnic cleansing.

"Last year there was a very large-scale similar operation against refugee camps in the West Bank. Tens of thousands of people were forcibly displaced, and we absolutely do not want to see a repeat of that," Laurence said. "That is why we say loudly and clearly that this operation must end. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's highest court, has taken a very clear position on the occupation of the West Bank: this occupation must end immediately and people must be allowed to return to their homes."

Rising military pressure across the West Bank

The developments in Hebron are taking place alongside growing Israeli military raids across the occupied West Bank since attacks on the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. Those raids have been accompanied by the killing and detention of Palestinians, the demolition of homes and businesses, the destruction of farmland and forced displacement.

Key takeaways

• The UN Human Rights Office raised ethnic cleansing concerns over Israel's siege of the West Bank city of Hebron.
• Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said Israeli forces carried out an "aggressive operation" that displaced many residents over six days.
• Laurence said the restrictions could amount to collective punishment and that the actions may be equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
• The office demanded an immediate end to the operation and said people must be allowed to return to their homes.