a day ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israel Imposes Total Lockdown on West Bank, Detains Dozens
Israeli occupation forces have intensified their military lockdown across the occupied West Bank for the third consecutive day, closing nearly all entrances and exits to cities, towns, and villages, while carrying out widespread raids and arrests.
According to reports, Israeli forces have blocked major roads with concrete blocks and metal gates, severely restricting the movement of Palestinians. Simultaneously, a large-scale arrest campaign has swept through several districts, with dozens of young men detained.
In occupied Jerusalem, all access points to surrounding towns remain shut. On Sunday at dawn, Israeli forces stormed Shu'fat refugee camp in northeast Jerusalem and arrested two young men after raiding their homes. In the town of Abu Dis, southeast of the city, soldiers reportedly assaulted youths during field interrogations and stormed several homes.
In Ramallah and al-Bireh, Israeli troops reinforced their presence at key entrances, erecting military checkpoints and closing routes to several surrounding villages, including Rawabi, Ras Karkar, Deir Ammar, Turmus Ayya, and Sinjil. The main entrance to the town of al-Taybeh was also sealed.
Nablus continues to be encircled by Israeli checkpoints. Soldiers closed off most village gates around the city and targeted civilian vehicles with sound bombs and tear gas, particularly near the Deir Sharaf checkpoint. Only two narrow routes—through Askar refugee camp and the town of al-Badhan—remain partially accessible.
In Qalqilya, occupation forces shut the city's eastern entrance and locked gates leading to villages east of the city, including Nabi Elias, Immatin, and Hajja, restricting residents' movement.
Al-Khalil faced the most extensive crackdown. Israeli troops sealed the main entrance to Idhna, barred movement on bypass roads, and closed all dirt paths leading in and out of the city. They detained at least 19 Palestinians on Sunday alone from across Hebron governorate, raiding neighborhoods, commercial shops, and homes in the process.
In Idhna, detainees included Mohammad Abdulaziz al-Batran, Raafat Rashid al-Batran, Khattab Ismail al-Nattah, brothers Mohammad and Akram al-Fseisi, and Omar al-Nattah. Additional arrests took place in other areas of Al-Khalil, including the towns of Sa'ir and al-Dhahiriya, where dozens more were seized.
Meanwhile, in the northern Jordan Valley, the Israeli military continues to block the Hamra and Tayasir checkpoints in both directions for the third day in a row. The closures are severely affecting residents, especially farmers trying to reach their lands or transport agricultural products to markets.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society and the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a joint statement that over 40 Palestinians were arrested between Saturday night and Sunday morning, including minors and former detainees. Most of the arrests were concentrated in Hebron, with others in Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.
Since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, approximately 17,500 Palestinians have been arrested across the West Bank. This figure includes those later released and does not account for thousands more detained in Gaza. The groups noted that arrests are increasingly accompanied by field interrogations, beatings, destruction of property, and even extrajudicial executions, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm.
The ongoing campaign has sparked fears among Palestinians of further escalations, with many communities effectively cut off and under siege.
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