RAMALLAH/Awad al-Rajoub/Anadolu

The Israeli army on Thursday closed parts of Beersheba Street and central Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank to secure a settler incursion into an archaeological site in the area, according to eyewitnesses.

Witnesses told Anadolu that large Israeli forces deployed in the city center and closed several streets and shops in the Bab al-Zawiya area, one of the most vibrant areas in Hebron.

They added that the forces forced dozens of public transport vehicles to evacuate the main gathering point in the area to facilitate the settlers' incursion into the site they call 'Tomb of Hebron,' causing traffic jams and congestion for travelers in the vicinity and the streets leading to it.

The witnesses explained that a group of settlers, under the protection of Israeli army forces, took Beersheba Street to reach the site.

The settlers claim that the site contains the tomb of a Jewish figure named 'Hebron' or 'Ben Knas,' while Palestinians deny this and say the site is relatively modern.

The West Bank has seen an escalation in Israeli incursions and arrests since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, with attacks by the Israeli army and settlers resulting in the killing of 1,182 Palestinians and the arrest of about 24,000 Palestinians, according to official Palestinian data as of Monday.