The latest Israeli raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank
We are getting reports that Israeli forces are raiding the occupied West Bank city of Aqqaba, northwest of Tubas.
Three Palestinians have been wounded and one person was arrested. Other early morning raids in the territory, including in Ramallah, el-Bireh, and Sa’ir, resulted in 17 people being arrested by Israeli forces.
The Israeli military also stormed the Balata refugee camp overnight, east of Nablus, where armed clashes broke out with Palestinian resistance fighters inside the camp.
Number of wounded in Israeli raid in West Bank rises to 6
At least six people have now been wounded and one arrested during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Aqqaba, northwest of Tubas.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said five of the wounded were taken to Tubas Turkish Government Hospital, with one person suffering from a critical chest injury. The sixth injured was reportedly arrested by Israeli forces while receiving medical assistance, Wafa reported.
It also reported that Israeli troops surrounded the home of former prisoner Qutaybah al-Shawish during the early morning operation.
Kamel Bani Ouda, director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society in Tubas, told Wafa that al-Shawish was arrested after being attacked by police dogs inside a neighbour’s home.
‘As long as Jerusalem remains occupied, wars will persist’: Palestinian official
The spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the entire region has entered a phase of instability, adding that the only way to fix that was through a resolution to the Palestinian issue.
Nabil Abu Rudeinah said the ongoing attacks in Gaza and attacks in the occupied West Bank “will not bring security or stability but will instead lead to more violence and chaos across the region and beyond”, according to Wafa.
“As long as Jerusalem remains occupied, with its sacred sites, history, and heritage under threat, the wars witnessed today will persist as they have for the past century,” he added.
Abu Rudeinah also held successive US administrations accountable for the ongoing turmoil due to their support for Israel, saying, “Such actions have emboldened further crimes against the Palestinian people and the people of Syria and Lebanon as well, along with persistent threats to other areas.”
Israeli forces close military checkpoint northeast of Bethlehem
Israeli forces closed the military checkpoint northeast of Bethlehem, Wafa reported, citing security sources.
The report said the Israelis shut down the checkpoint, which connects the central and southern occupied West Bank, and stopped residents’ movement.
Restricting movement is one of the main tools Israel uses to enforce its occupation.
“These conditions result in a life of constant uncertainty for Palestinians, making it difficult to perform simple tasks and plan their lives, and obstruct the development of a stable economy,” said Israeli rights group B’Tselem.
