WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Various areas of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem witnessed a major escalation overnight and early Wednesday, as Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out a series of raids and incursions, arresting several Palestinians, including a journalist and workers. The IOF operations also included demolitions and raids on homes and businesses, alongside continued settler attacks under IOF protection.
In Jenin, the IOF carried out intensive raids across several neighborhoods and towns. The IOF stormed the Kharrouba neighborhood north of the city and arrested a young man while also raiding Silat al-Harithiya to the west and arresting a second young man. In the town of al-Yamoun, Nour al-Din Freihat was arrested after Israeli forces raided his home.
The raids also extended to the village of Arabuna, northeast of Jenin, and Deir Ghazaleh to the east, where several homes were searched. In Barta’a, southwest of the governorate, the IOF arrested a number of Palestinian workers.
The IOF also remained for several hours in the towns of Arraba, Kafr Ra’i and Silat al-Dhahr, raiding homes and arresting a number of young men.
Tulkarem, Tubas and the Jordan Valley were also affected by the escalation. The IOF raided the Shuweika suburb north of Tulkarem, while in Tubas Governorate they stormed the village of Tayasir to the east and the town of Tammun to the south, searching several homes.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers carried out provocative tours in Khirbet Samra in the northern Jordan Valley.
In Nablus, the IOF troops entered the eastern part of the city through the Huwwara checkpoint and raided the headquarters of the “Future Generation” association in the Jabal Ajram area near Zawata, west of the city. The IOF also raided Kafr Qallil to the south and arrested a Palestinian man after storming his home.
The raids coincided with settler attacks, as groups of Jewish settlers entered Nablus in vehicles and stormed the village of Awarta, southeast of the city, to perform Talmudic rituals at the al-Uzair shrine.
In Qalqilya, Israeli forces raided the town of Sanniriya, south of the city, deployed military vehicles through its streets, searched several homes and subjected a number of residents to field interrogations.
In Ramallah and al-Bireh, the IOF sent major military reinforcements to the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood of al-Bireh after an undercover unit infiltrated the area. A local young man was arrested after IOF raided his home.
Israeli forces also stormed Beitunia, west of Ramallah, and arrested ex-prisoner and journalist Mohammed Awad after raiding his home.
The raids continued elsewhere in the governorate, including in Birzeit to the north, while the town of Turmus Ayya witnessed an extensive campaign of incursions and raids on numerous homes.
Settlers also attempted to enter the Abu Falah Bedouin community near the village of al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, amid continued pressure on Bedouin communities.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces stormed the al-Tarabi’ area of Beit Fajjar, south of the city, and fired numerous illumination flares into the sky. Israeli military vehicles also began demolishing a residential building in the village of Jurat al-Sham’a, south of Bethlehem.
In al-Khalil, Israeli forces raided the town of Surif and al-Arroub refugee camp to the north. Meanwhile, groups of settlers stormed Khirbet al-Kharaba, east of the town of al-Samu, south of al-Khalil, where they carried out provocative tours and released their sheep among olive trees, causing damage to Palestinian property and agricultural land.
