Hebron siege continues for 10th day as Israel threatens wider offensive

Israeli forces are maintaining their siege on Hebron for the 10th consecutive day, threatening to expand the offensive and forcing more Palestinian families from their homes.

The lockdown of the occupied West Bank city was imposed after an attack on October 23 near Hebron in which two Israeli soldiers were killed. More than 3,300 Palestinians have since been displaced or affected, with homes destroyed and businesses shuttered.

The economic toll is mounting. Mayor Yousef al-Jabari told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the city was losing an estimated $3.8 million a day. Hebron accounts for about 40 percent of the Palestinian economy, and Israeli forces have demolished 15 homes and other structures while forcing 327 businesses to close.

Fear is spreading among Palestinian families in and around the city, who worry the army could soon extend its attacks. Raids continued on Sunday: Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and seized their vehicles, while Al Jazeera-verified video showed the military raiding a school.

Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian office OCHA reported that Israeli settlers carried out 397 attacks on Palestinians, with attacks between October 20 and 26 targeting 49 Palestinian communities — mostly while Palestinians were harvesting olives on their land. Nine children were among 57 Palestinians injured by settlers and Israeli forces, 34 by military gunfire.