In a large-scale operation, the Israeli Army conducted extensive raids across the occupied West Bank early on Saturday, targeting several towns and villages. According to Palestinian activists, in the village of Tell, where an incident occurred after settlers entered Palestinian territory on Friday, troops raided dozens of homes and over 30 residents were detained by morning, with operations still ongoing as reported by telesurenglish.net[^1].
The raids also restricted the funeral of Palestinian victims from a recent shooting and included a raid on the Nablus Specialized Hospital, where Israeli forces clashed with medical staff to arrest relatives and wounded individuals from the incident. The Israel Defense Forces were also reported to have operated in several municipalities within the Jenin governorate, including a residential complex near the Arab American University, and further raids in the Tulkarm area and the city of Qalqilya.
At least three arrests were reported in the locality of Azzun, and according to Al Jazeera, at least ten Palestinian towns and villages were raided, with some incursions still underway and access routes cut off for residents. The northern West Bank saw tear gas fired into homes in Qaryut. The raids extended to the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho, the Kafr Aqab neighborhood in East Jerusalem located behind the separation wall, as well as the city of Tubas and the Masafer Yatta area in the Hebron governorate.
The operation follows an incursion by Israeli settlers into the Tell village near Nablus on Friday, during what appeared to be an excursion in occupied territory that included children. This was documented by videos recorded by witnesses and the Israeli NGO B’Tselem.
In a statement, the Palestinian Presidency blamed Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for providing financial and political support to radical Jewish settlers who commit ‘terrorist attacks’ in the West Bank, as cited by EFE.
The situation in the West Bank remains tense and volatile, with these large-scale raids highlighting the escalating conflict and the urgent need for resolution.