Israeli army launches military operation in Hebron, detains dozens in West Bank

The Israeli army announced on Monday that it had launched a military operation overnight in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, while dozens of Palestinians were detained in other parts of the occupied territories. 

In a statement, the army confirmed the operation began overnight and "will continue for several days with the participation of the Shin Bet (internal security service) and the Border Police".

Videos shared online showed barricades being set up at different entrances into the city, besieging the town's residents. Roads were also closed off with cement blocks, and military checkpoints were erected, restricting the movement of people. 

According to local Palestinian media reports, several residents were detained after Israeli forces stormed their homes and ransacked them, including 13-year-old Mohammed Mutawwar. 

The Israeli army said the operation is focused on the Jabal Johar area of Hebron, claiming it aims to "eliminate infrastructure" allegedly belonging to Palestinian groups in the area.

The army added that "an increased presence of military forces will be noticeable in the area and sounds of explosions will be heard", without providing further details.

Meanwhile, in the city of Jenin, Israeli forces stormed the Khallet al-Souha neighbourhood, raiding homes and conducting field interrogations of several residents.

The army detained 20 Palestinians during a series of raids across other parts of the occupied territory.

The 20 individuals were arrested in raids in the cities of Nablus and Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, and Bethlehem and Hebron in the south.

Local sources said Israeli military vehicles entered the town of Qabatiya and searched homes in the Abu al-Rub neighbourhood, also carrying out more arrests.

Schools in the town were forced to close, The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

On Sunday evening, Israeli forces detained a number of Palestinian worshippers inside the grand mosque in the village of Kafr Nima, west of Ramallah.

Citing sources, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said soldiers surrounded the mosque and held worshippers inside, as they fired stun grenades and tear gas.

Israeli military and settler attacks have intensified in the West Bank since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, particularly in the past year.

According to official Palestinian figures, the violence has killed over 1,100 Palestinians and wounded around 11,000 others. More than 21,000 people have either been detained briefly or are still in custody.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents have been forced from their towns and camps, triggering international concern over the displacement of civilians and whether this could amount to war crimes.

Land confiscations continue

The latest developments come as the Israeli-controlled municipality in Jerusalem notified residents of Al-Bustan neighbourhood in Silwan on Sunday of its intention to seize 1,100 square metres of land, under the pretext of establishing a landscaping and parking project.

In the notice, Mayor Moshe Lion claimed this plot is classified as "vacant land" under the Local Authorities Law of 1987.

Silwan lies immediately east and southeast of Jerusalem’s Old City, part of East Jerusalem, which, along with the West Bank, has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israel war.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem have faced years of forced evictions from their homes and lengthy battles against Israeli projects.

The Jerusalem Governorate said the move follows an earlier decision this month to seize about 5,700 square meters of land in Al-Bustan under the same pretext, despite the land containing the rubble of homes forcibly demolished by Israeli authorities.

It rejected claims that the seizure would be temporary, warning that Israel aims to impose a permanent settlement reality, especially after the demolition of 35 structures in the neighbourhood since the start of the war on Gaza which started in October 2023.

The governorate said Al-Bustan, home to around 1,500 residents, faces an organised campaign of pressure, including demolitions, arrests and road closures, aimed at forcing residents to leave and tightening Israeli control around the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel’s far-right government has pushed forward with the construction of illegal Jewish settlements.

Many Palestinians want to see the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the war-torn Gaza Strip as part of their future state, something Israel strongly rejects.