ALWAGHT- Palestinian families in Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah were left in fear as Israeli forces conducted early-morning raids targeting former detainees.
A pre-dawn wave of Israeli occupation raids swept the West Bank on Saturday, terrorizing families and resulting in the detention of 15 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society. Homes were reportedly damaged during operations in Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah, with many detainees being young men or former prisoners. The raids involved intense searches and the use of stun grenades and tear gas.
In Nablus, multiple raids targeted the Old Askar refugee camp and surrounding villages, resulting in several detentions, while in Qalqilya, Israeli forces conducted large-scale operations in Kafr Saba, assaulting young Palestinians and detaining multiple individuals. Ramallah also saw raids in Beit Rima, where heavy stun grenades and tear gas were used, spreading fear among residents.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned of a “wider pattern” of escalating violence in the West Bank, citing a rise in settler-led attacks, demolitions, forced transfers, and the construction of illegal settlements. The agency criticized Israeli security forces’ complicity or acquiescence in these attacks, highlighting the resulting displacement, killings, and harassment of Palestinian communities.
The violence has had a severe human cost, including the recent death of Palestinian child Aysam Jihad Labib Naser from tear gas inhalation during an olive grove dispersal. OHCHR emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, must protect Palestinians, halt unlawful settlement expansion, evacuate settlers from occupied territory, and ensure accountability for attacks. The report reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
