Widespread Arrest Campaign and Raids Target a School and a Religious Shrine in the West Bank

Israeli occupation forces launched a series of widespread raids targeting several cities and towns in the occupied West Bank early this Wednesday morning, resulting in the arrest of dozens of Palestinian citizens. These military operations included raids on homes, searching them, and tampering with their contents, a move that coincided with a noticeable escalation on the ground in various governorates.

In Nablus city, dozens of settlers stormed Joseph's Tomb in the eastern area under tight protection from the occupation army to perform religious rituals. Sources reported that Israeli forces closed roads leading to the shrine and deployed heavily in the vicinity, obstructing the movement of citizens until their withdrawal late in the morning.

In response to the deteriorating security situation in Nablus, the Directorate of Education announced a delay in school hours in the city and neighboring villages. This decision was made to ensure the safety of students and teaching staff amidst the strict military measures that accompanied the settlers' storming of the eastern area.

In Dura town, south of Hebron, the occupation army carried out a wide-ranging military operation that included raiding dozens of homes and destroying citizens' property. The invading forces subjected dozens of young men to harsh field interrogations after converting a number of homes into temporary detention centers, causing a state of panic among residents.

Local sources stated that among those arrested in Dura town was lawyer Moataz Abu Arqoub, in addition to the detention of more than 21 citizens for long hours. Although most of the detainees were later released, the operation caused significant material damage to the homes that were subjected to thorough searches and destruction.

Dura town also witnessed limited confrontations during the withdrawal of occupation forces, as soldiers fired sound bombs and tear gas heavily at citizens. This led to numerous cases of suffocation that were treated on the spot, amidst the continued security tension engulfing the southern region of the West Bank.

In Ramallah governorate, arrests targeted a child no older than fifteen after raiding his family's home in Deir Ibzi' village. Sources clarified that the military force provocatively searched the home before taking the child to an unknown destination, as part of a policy targeting young age groups.

As for Tulkarem, occupation forces arrested a released prisoner after storming his home in Akataba suburb east of the city and tampering with its contents. Salfit governorate also recorded the arrest of another young man from Broqin town after a similar raid operation that included intimidating local residents and thoroughly searching targeted homes.

In Jenin governorate, occupation forces stormed Silat al-Dhahr Secondary School and removed the Palestinian flag from its building in a provocative move. The raids also included al-Yamoun town and Beit Qad village, where several homes were raided and their residents subjected to quick field interrogations before withdrawing from the area.

This frenzied campaign of raids and arrests comes at a time when Palestinians commemorate the Nakba of 1948, amidst an unprecedented escalation in settlement activity. Observers believe that these measures aim to tighten the noose on Palestinians in the West Bank and entrench the policy of displacement and field control.

Occupation forces converted citizens' homes in Dura town into temporary detention centers to conduct field investigations with dozens of young men.