LONDON: Israeli forces placed Palestinian areas of Hebron city in the south of the occupied West Bank under movement restrictions for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority said.

Forces fired tear gas canisters toward the city’s Al-Ahli Hospital, causing gas to seep into patient wards and rooms, triggering suffocation and panic. They also seized vehicles bearing yellow license plates from the hospital grounds on Monday evening as troops continued to check the identification documents of residents moving through the area, according to the Palestine News Agency.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces closed the Halhul Bridge, a major junction, disrupting vehicle traffic. They also shut the Farsh Al-Hawa road in Hebron as military restrictions tightened at the entrances to the city and surrounding towns.

Last week, Israeli forces displaced almost 450 Palestinian families of more than 2,300 people from the Deir Bahha and Al-Jalda areas following a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers. Families staged a protest at the Al-Jalda roundabout on Tuesday, demanding to return home.

Israeli forces have searched more than 500 homes in Hebron during the past five days, while the governorate of Hebron is effectively fragmented by 128 Israeli gates and 120 military checkpoints, according to the Palestinian Authority.