Israeli Forces Continue Raids in West Bank as Hebron Enters Sixth Day of Lockdown
Israeli forces continued their military siege and crackdown in Hebron, the largest city in the occupied West Bank, on Wednesday, as the city entered its sixth day of strict lockdown. Israeli troops launched fresh raids in Hebron and surrounding areas, while arrests and attacks intensified elsewhere in the West Bank.
Early Wednesday, Israeli troops raided the Al-Fawwar refugee camp in southern Hebron and searched several Palestinian homes. In Tulkarem, four Palestinians, including a journalist and his two brothers, were arrested.
In Beita, south of Nablus, Israeli forces fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against the demolition of two homes belonging to Palestinian prisoners. In Yasid village, north of Nablus, Israeli forces beat a Palestinian man, breaking his arm. Amid the violence, authorities in southern Nablus switched schools to online classes to protect students and teachers.
The intensified military operation in Hebron has forced around 5,000 Palestinians to flee their homes. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) strongly condemned the situation, calling it a violation of international law and a form of collective punishment.
UNRWA said the operation recalled Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’ campaign in early 2025, which targeted the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps in the northern West Bank. Thousands of people displaced by that operation have remained unable to return home for more than a year.
Political analysts say the latest military measures followed the killing of two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint last week. However, Palestinian officials allege that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition government are deliberately prolonging the conflict to gain political advantage ahead of the upcoming elections.
Source: Al Jazeera
