Israel army withdraws from Qabatiya following two-day siege on West Bank town

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had ended its operation in a town in the occupied West Bank that it had sealed off after a local resident was accused of killing two people in Israel.

Around 50 residents of Qabatiya were briefly detained during the two-day operation, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, quoting the town's mayor Ahmed Zakarneh.

The attacker's father and two brothers remained in custody, it added.

Israel's raid of Qatabiya left extensive damage in the town, and isolated it from much of its surrounding villages and towns.

Zakarneh said the town had been in a state of "total paralysis" during the military activity.

Army bulldozers tore up pavement on several streets and erected roadblocks to halt traffic, he said, adding that around 50 houses were searched.

Wafa reported that a school had been turned into a detention and interrogation centre.

Israeli forces also imposed a curfew on Qabatiya, disrupting daily routines, school, and work.

When contacted by AFP on Sunday morning, the military confirmed the end of its operation in the area.

Defence Minister Israel Katz previously said the army had completely sealed off the town.

Wafa also reported that Israeli troops had withdrawn from Qabatiya, near the city of Jenin.

AFPTV footage filmed on Saturday showed Israeli soldiers carrying automatic rifles and patrolling the streets, where several armoured vehicles were deployed.

Shops were closed, though men and children were seen walking through the village.

On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had sealed off the assailant's home and was finalising "the procedures required for its demolition".

Israeli authorities argue that demolishing the homes of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis has a deterrent effect.

Critics, however, condemn the practice as collective punishment that leaves families homeless.

Israeli forces and settlers have also intensified violence in the West Bank in parallel with the war in Gaza, killing over 1,000 Palestinians and arresting thousands more in the occupied territory.