Israeli forces withdraw from parts of Hebron after 11-day offensive
The offensive affected more than 3,300 residents, demolished 15 homes and kept about 80,000 students out of school, local officials said.
Israeli forces withdrew on Monday from several neighborhoods in the West Bank city of Hebron that they had occupied during an 11-day offensive, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Local sources said the troops pulled out of the Al-Jalda and Ein Deir Bahha areas and other parts of the city, and residents have started returning to their homes.
The Civil Defense urged residents not to touch suspicious objects or enter damaged buildings until they have been inspected.
The agency also asked the public to clear the way for Civil Defense teams and explosive ordnance disposal units, and to keep a close watch on children, older people and people with disabilities.
The offensive displaced or otherwise affected more than 3,300 residents, particularly in Al-Jalda and Ein Deir Bahha, and caused the demolition of 15 homes and facilities.
The Hebron Municipality said in a statement issued on Sunday that forces fully demolished 15 homes and facilities and forced the closure of 327 shops in the city.
The municipality said direct daily economic losses from the offensive exceeded 12 million shekels, or about $3.8 million.
It put the total damage to infrastructure at more than 6 million shekels, or $1.9 million, and losses in the health and environmental sectors at about 500,000 shekels, or $160,000.
Around 80,000 students were unable to attend their schools during the operation, which had entered its 10th day.
Hebron is the largest city in the occupied West Bank, and its residents have faced repeated Israeli military operations and movement restrictions in recent years.
