The Israeli army escalated its military operations in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday morning, invading multiple cities and towns and arresting nine Palestinians, while closing the main entrances to the city of Ramallah and setting up military checkpoints on alternative routes. The invasions covered areas in the northern West Bank, Nablus governorate, Tulkarm, and the central and southern regions.
Operations in the North and Center
In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces invaded the eastern district of Jenin city and the towns of Meilun, Jaba, and Qabatiya, arresting at least six Palestinians, according to local sources. In Nablus governorate, forces arrested a young man following the invasion of the town of Qarantina, while raiding the southern Al-Hawuz area in the town of Qafin in northern Tulkarm governorate.
In the central West Bank, Israeli forces closed all main entrances to Ramallah, including the Ein Sinia checkpoint, Atara, and Rawabi gate, as well as the Nabi Salih and Aboud gates. They also set up a checkpoint near the Education suburb on the Birzeit-Jalazone road, and another on the road connecting the village of Yabrud and the town of Salwad. In Birzeit, the army converted the home of Palestinian Mohammed Ali Hamida into a military barracks, detaining four of its residents and confiscating their phones since 3 a.m., announcing they would remain inside the house for 13 hours.
Arrests and Movement Restrictions
In a related development, sources from the town of Turmus Ayya north of Ramallah reported the expulsion of farmers from their lands without further details. In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces invaded the town of Tuqu’ southeast of Bethlehem governorate, accompanied by armored vehicles. In Hebron governorate, repeated invasions of the town of Tuffah continued, involving searches of homes of former prisoners.
Forces also assaulted the Palestinian Issa Musaa’ in the Hawara area before arresting him and his son Rami, despite the latter being injured by pepper spray during a previous attack by settlers on the family’s residence. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the number of checkpoints and obstacles in the West Bank reached 942, including 824 fixed checkpoints and closure points, and 118 linear obstacles, with a total length of approximately 107.7 kilometers, according to UN data.
This escalation comes amid rising Israeli army attacks and settler terrorism against Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza since October/November 2023. The attacks include killing Palestinians, burning homes, vehicles, and mosques, and uprooting agricultural lands, in addition to preventing farmers from accessing their lands and displacing Palestinian communities. The number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, is estimated at approximately 750,000, residing in 194 settlements and about 400 outposts, according to official data.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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