Israel detains Palestinian mayor of Hebron amid violent arrest campaign in West Bank

Israeli forces arrested the mayor of Hebron amid a large-scale arrest campaign in the West Bank, with many civilians being detained.

Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh was arrested at dawn, following an aggressive assault on his home. Israeli forces stormed his house, ransacked it and damaged his possessions.

In a statement, the Hebron municipality condemned his arrest, saying "this brutal attack doesn’t only target the mayor but also targets the will of the people of Hebron and its elected institutions".

The municipality statement added that the storming constitutes "a blatant attack on the democratic process and the right of our people to manage their affairs and serve their city with freedom and dignity".

The municipal council went on to say it holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for the arrest, and called on human rights organisations "to carry their legal and moral responsibilities to pile pressure on Israel for the immediate release of the mayor, and to put an end to the escalating violations against the city’s leaders and citizens".

The mayor has served in his role since 2017 and has previously been imprisoned by Israeli forces.

The Israeli army did not comment on the arrest of the mayor.

In Nablus, at least 13 Palestinians were arrested, with one of the people being hospitalised after they were assaulted and beaten by forces in the Kafr Qalil village.

The Israeli assault also targeted other cities and villages, including in Qalqilya and Ramallah.

Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, there has been a sharp uptick in arrests and attacks on Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.

At least 10,800 Palestinians have been arrested and are held in Israeli jails. The figure includes around 450 children and does not include the thousands arrested and taken from Gaza in the same time frame. Many are held without charge or trial under Israel's 'administrative detention' policy.

An additional 1,016 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 others injured in the West Bank since October 2023, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The latest developments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a cabinet session on Tuesday to discuss imposing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, Hebrew media reported.