The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that occupation forces raided the al-Jilda and Deir Bahha areas in central Hebron and imposed a complete siege on both neighborhoods.

The forces also forced dozens of Palestinian residents out of their homes in the early morning hours and made them stand outdoors, Wafa said.

The military operation involved additional military vehicles and bulldozers, the closure of main entrances and roads leading to Hebron, and the isolation of the city from surrounding areas.

Israeli forces also raided and searched homes, detained dozens of residents and subjected them to field interrogations before releasing them on Saturday morning, according to Wafa.

Separately, occupation forces arrested 19 Palestinians during raids across the occupied West Bank.

The detainees included two Palestinians from the Hindaza area and al-Azza refugee camp in Bethlehem governorate, 16 from Nablus governorate and a young man from Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho.

The raids and arrests come amid an escalation in Israeli military attacks and settler violence across the occupied West Bank, including occupied East al-Quds, since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

The ongoing attacks have included the killing and arrest of Palestinians, the demolition of homes and other structures, the burning of mosques and vehicles, and the destruction of agricultural land.

Occupation forces and settlers have also restricted Palestinian farmers’ access to their fields, displaced Palestinian communities and expanded illegal settlements.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army claimed on Friday that two Palestinians were killed in a shootout with Israeli forces.

The army claimed that the Palestinians had opened fire at Israeli settlers in Hebron, wounding five people.

Following the reported shooting, the Israeli army announced a complete closure of Hebron and several surrounding towns on Friday, extending restrictions on movement across the area.