Israeli occupation forces have forcibly displaced 4,969 Palestinians from the Deir Bahha and al-Jalda neighborhoods of al-Khalil in the southern occupied West Bank, as a sweeping military siege entered its fifth consecutive day, worsening an already deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The al-Khalil Municipality said on Tuesday that 780 families had been forced to leave their homes amid military raids, house searches and severe restrictions on residents’ movement.

Those displaced include 336 infants, 441 elderly people, 216 pregnant and breastfeeding women, 44 people with disabilities and 312 people suffering from chronic illnesses, highlighting the urgent needs of vulnerable families affected by the ongoing Israeli military operation.

The military closure has disrupted daily life across the area and obstructed the delivery of humanitarian assistance to families trapped in besieged neighborhoods.

The Israeli measures followed armed clashes last Friday between Israeli occupation forces and two Palestinian resistance fighters. Both Palestinian fighters and two Israeli soldiers were killed during the confrontation.

Following the incident, Israeli forces imposed a strict military lockdown on al-Khalil and surrounding villages, raiding residential neighborhoods, searching Palestinian homes and severely restricting movement.

On Saturday evening, Israeli Army Minister Israel Katz acknowledged that thousands of Palestinians had been forced to leave their homes.

Palestinian officials condemned the measures as collective punishment targeting civilians in response to the clashes, warning that the siege was deepening the humanitarian crisis and leaving displaced families uncertain about when they would be able to return.

The latest displacement comes amid continuing Israeli military operations and settler violence across al-Khalil governorate.

According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli forces and settlers carried out 272 attacks across the governorate in September, including 122 attributed to settlers.

The commission also documented 19 demolition operations targeting 91 Palestinian structures during the same month, making al-Khalil the West Bank governorate with the highest number of demolished structures during that period.

The commission said the attacks reflected mounting pressure on Palestinians through damage to homes and livelihoods, restrictions on movement and access to property, and expanding Israeli control over land, roads and strategic locations.

The developments form part of a broader escalation of Israeli military operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

Palestinians have faced killings, home demolitions, the burning of houses, vehicles and mosques, and the destruction of agricultural land. Israeli forces and settlers have also prevented farmers from reaching their fields and forced entire Palestinian communities to abandon their homes.

In al-Khalil, the continuing siege has compounded these pressures, leaving thousands of displaced Palestinians facing uncertainty over their housing, livelihoods and access to essential services.

With hundreds of particularly vulnerable people among those displaced, concerns are growing over the humanitarian consequences of prolonged displacement and restrictions on assistance as the military operation continues. (ILKHA)