Israeli army moves to demolish homes of Hebron attackers who killed two soldiers

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is preparing to demolish the homes of the Palestinian gunmen behind a shooting attack in Hebron in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, The Jerusalem Post reported. The attack took place in the southern West Bank about a week before the demolition preparations were reported.

On the morning of the planned demolition, soldiers carried explosives into the house of Hamouda al-Ja'aba, named as one of the attackers, in the Ein Dir Baha neighbourhood of Hebron, according to the Hebrew-language Telegram channel Abu Ali Express. The channel said the house was to be blown up later the same day.

What is known about the attack

Both reports describe the original incident as a shooting attack in the Hebron area that killed two IDF soldiers. Abu Ali Express placed it roughly a week before its post, which was published on the morning of the demolition preparations.

A photograph published with the Jerusalem Post report, dated October 23, 2026, shows Israeli forces close to where a shooting took place outside Hebron. According to the caption, the attack left five people hurt, two in serious condition, and Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian attackers. The caption does not mention any soldiers killed, while the headline of the same report does. The material available does not make clear whether the caption describes the same incident or an earlier stage of it, and we have not resolved that difference here.

Where Hebron is

Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, the territory Israel has held since the Six Day War and where Palestinians seek a future state. The city is sensitive for both Jews and Muslims because it contains the Cave of the Patriarchs, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque. A small Israeli settler community lives in part of the city under heavy military protection, and Hebron has long been a site of friction between residents, settlers and Israeli forces. Ein Dir Baha, the neighbourhood named in the Abu Ali Express report, is one of the city's districts.

Israel's policy of punitive demolitions

Israel has for many years demolished or sealed the family homes of Palestinians who carry out deadly attacks. The Israeli government and military describe the practice as a deterrent intended to discourage future attacks. Palestinian officials and human rights organisations, including some Israeli groups, describe it as collective punishment because it falls on relatives who are not accused of any wrongdoing. Families can petition Israel's Supreme Court against a demolition order, and the court has generally allowed the policy to continue while sometimes limiting how a particular order is carried out.

Demolitions are usually carried out by army engineering units, often using controlled explosions, as described in this case, or heavy machinery. They typically take place some time after an attack, once the military has identified the attackers and issued orders.

About the sources

The Jerusalem Post is an English-language Israeli daily. Abu Ali Express is a Hebrew-language Telegram channel that follows Arab and Palestinian affairs and security incidents, and it often posts brief updates from the field in near real time. Its report on the Hebron house was a short post rather than a full article.

What the reports do not say

• Neither report names the soldiers who were killed or their units.
• Only one attacker, Hamouda al-Ja'aba, is named. The reports do not identify any other attacker or say how many homes are set for demolition.
• The reports do not say whether the families petitioned the courts or whether any legal process preceded the demolition.
• It is not stated whether the demolition was completed, or whether there were clashes or injuries during the operation.
• The difference between the photo caption, which describes five wounded and two attackers killed, and the headline describing two soldiers killed, is not explained in the material.
• No official statement from the IDF spokesperson is included in the reports.