Israeli Occupation Forces Arrest Palestinians Across West Bank; 1,030 New Settlements Planned
Local sources reported that Israeli occupation forces arrested the wife of prisoner Ahmed Salmi after storming her home in the Kafr Saba neighborhood of Qalqilya, located in the northern West Bank. Additionally, Mahmoud Abu Hamid, a young man from Qalqilya, was arrested at the Deir Sharaf checkpoint west of Nablus.
Arrests and Clashes
The occupation forces also raided the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, arresting citizen Amer Snoubar from his home in the western part of the city. During the raid, clashes and armed confrontations erupted between Israeli occupation forces and local resistance fighters in the Old City of Nablus.
In Hebron, Israeli occupation forces carried out a series of arrests, targeting several released prisoners. Local sources also reported that Israeli forces raided the city of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, arresting four young men after storming their homes.
Israeli forces carried out a wave of overnight raids and arrests in Hebron, Qalqilya and Bethlehem governorates in the occupied West Bank, with fighting reported in Jenin.
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/WMMOlrnRQW pic.twitter.com/PJkMMHnHdn
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 10, 2025
As the Israeli assault on Jenin enters its second month, occupation forces arrested Omar Al-Wahsh and released prisoner Ali Al-Samar during a raid in the town of Yamoun, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank.
Enemy Plans to Build Over 1,000 New Settler Units
In a separate development, the Israeli occupation government plans to approve the construction of 1,030 new settlement units in the towns of Sur Baher and Jabal Mukaber in occupied Jerusalem.
According to a plan published by Hebrew media, 380 housing units are expected to be built in the 'Nof Tzion' settlement near Jabal Mukaber, along with a school, two synagogues, and commercial areas.
In addition, 650 more housing units are planned near the Sur Baher neighborhood, between the Ramat Rahel settlement and the Har Homa neighborhood, along with commercial areas, a primary school, a synagogue, a community center, and kindergartens.
This settlement expansion continues to encircle the city of Jerusalem, threatening its Arab neighborhoods and placing them in greater danger of displacement and demographic manipulation. The Israeli occupation aims to create what it refers to as 'Greater Jerusalem' by legally annexing settlements on Palestinian land, altering the city's character, and erasing its identity.
Strategic Plan for Greater Jerusalem
The Zionist government also plans to annex settlements such as Maale Adumim, Beitar Illit, Givat Ze'ev, Efrat, and Maaleh Mikhmas, as well as others to the north, east, and south of Jerusalem. This would not only surround the city but also penetrate its core, cutting off vital geographic links between Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus.
The annexation of these settlements would effectively isolate occupied Jerusalem from the West Bank, severing essential communication and transportation links, and threatening further displacement of Palestinian residents. This move is part of a broader Israeli strategy to impose a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, using settler demographics to solidify control over the city and alter its Arab identity.
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