Reports of rooftop structures above shops in Hebron’s Old City have left Palestinian merchants concerned about reaching businesses that support their families, while accounts differ over who installed them.
WAFA said Israeli forces closed the Bab al-Zawiya area on Thursday, Oct. 29, and positioned mobile units above shops in the courtyard of Hebron’s old municipal building. Al Jazeera reported Wednesday that settlers had placed structures on commercial rooftops on Oct. 29, including above a tailoring shop. The accounts differ over both the installer and the precise site.
Al Jazeera reported that activists expected the structures to accommodate 20 new settler units. Shopkeeper Yusef al-Khatib told Al Jazeera, “This shop is my livelihood and the livelihood of my family.” The outlet reported that he inherited his tailoring shop from his father and feared for its future.
Under the 1997 Hebron Protocol, Palestinian police have responsibilities in Area H-1, while Israel retains responsibility for internal security and public order in Area H-2.
In April 2026, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that about 7,000 Palestinians and several hundred Israeli settlers lived in the section of H-2 under the tightest movement controls. OCHA said access since October 2023 has been limited to Palestinians registered as residents, using three main checkpoints. Its West Bank tally placed 34 of 89 checkpoints and 101 of 925 movement obstacles in H-2.
Separately, UNESCO lists Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town as a World Heritage property in Danger, a status it has held since 2017. The listing recognizes the Old Town’s historic fabric, traditional quarters and markets.
