Israel seals off Qabatiya village after attack, imposes 'collective punishment' on Palestinians

Israeli forces imposed a lockdown and siege on the Palestinian village of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, their second day of raids and attacks there after a local resident killed two people in Israel.

"The IDF (Israeli army) is operating forcefully against terror hubs in the village of Qabatiya... accompanied by a lockdown and a complete cordon around the locality," Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement published by his office on Saturday.

"We will continue to pursue an uncompromising offensive policy against Palestinian terror," he added.

Bilal Hunaisha, a resident of Qabatiya, south of Jenin in the northern West Bank, said the town "is being subjected to collective punishment by the Israeli occupation".

"As you can see, they blocked the way to my house and I am no longer able to move around," he told AFP, pointing to a pile of rubble obstructing the road.

In the attack on Friday a 34-year-old Palestinian man killed two people in northern Israel.

The assailant, who had been working in Israel without permission, had used his employer's vehicle to ram into a 68-year-old man and then stabbed an 18-year-old girl to death, according to Israeli police.

A few hours later, the Israeli army and the Shin Bet domestic security agency began operating in Qabatiya. They searched the perpetrator's house and questioned suspects, the army said.

On Saturday, the army's Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered the reinforcement of troops deployed in the area.

"This period is characterised by lone attackers and individuals staying illegally in (Israel). Enforcement against those who transport and employ them must be strengthened and improved," he said, according to an army statement.

"At the same time, we must continue to enhance our capabilities to identify and thwart these attackers."

Qabatiya resident Muhannad Zakarneh told AFP that the Israeli army arrested him at home at 6 am "for no obvious reasons" and kept him handcuffed for hours.

"When I asked what my charge was, there was no response," he said.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that besides blocking entrances and conducting interrogations and home searches, Israeli forces also took over a school and used it as a "detention and interrogation centre".

Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Gaza War began in October 2023, according to the Palestinian health ministry, while detaining thousands more.