13 Palestinians Arrested by Israel in West Bank Raids
Israeli forces arrested 13 Palestinians, including a child, in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank on Sunday. The operations were also marked by the burning of property and damage to agricultural land belonging to Palestinians.
In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces reportedly burned a residential room belonging to a Palestinian in the northern part of Osarin town, south of Nablus. The information was conveyed by local sources to Anadolu. In addition to burning the residence, Israeli forces also set fire to part of a vehicle at the location. The same sources said racist slogans were also sprayed around the site.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces carried out raids in the Khala’il al-Louz area, east of the city. During the operation, irrigation pipes used to water crops were reportedly damaged. Israeli forces also cut down a number of trees and damaged property and agricultural land belonging to Palestinians.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli forces also uprooted olive trees and grapevines from Palestinian land in the village of al-Minya, east of Bethlehem. In the Bethlehem area operation, two Palestinians, including a child, were arrested from the village of al-Rashaydeh.
Meanwhile, in Qalqilya, six Palestinians were arrested after Israeli forces raided the city and conducted house-to-house searches in the Kafr Saba and al-Naqqar areas, according to Wafa. Five other Palestinians were also arrested in an Israeli military operation in the city of Tulkarem.
In Ramallah, Israeli forces closed the western entrance to the village of al-Mughayyir, located northeast of the city. The closure prevented Palestinians from leaving or entering the village through that route. Israeli forces also interrogated a number of residents and fired tear gas at vehicles. Local sources told Anadolu that the western access is now the only entry and exit route for al-Mughayyir village. This situation occurred after Israeli forces closed the eastern access to the village on 7 October 2023.
On the outskirts of Burqa village, east of Ramallah, Israeli forces also reportedly burned a tent, equipment, and livestock feed belonging to a Palestinian farmer.
The security situation in the West Bank has continued to deteriorate since Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip broke out in October 2023. Since then, the territory has experienced an increase in Israeli attacks and military operations. The situation has raised concerns from the Palestinian side as well as the international community regarding the ongoing impact of the escalation of violence in the occupied territory.
A series of raids, arrests, access restrictions, and damage to Palestinian property and agricultural land continue to be part of the ongoing tensions in the West Bank.