Israeli Forces Intensify Crackdown in West Bank, Arresting Dozens
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli forces have arrested 40 Palestinians, including three women, in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank since Wednesday night, according to reports from the Wafa news agency, citing the Palestinian Prisoners Society.
Most of the arrests occurred in the Jerusalem al-Quds governorate, with others in Ramallah, Hebron (al-Khalil), Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tubas, and Nablus.
The surge in detentions adds to the more than 8,030 Palestinians already held in the occupied West Bank since October 7.
Tragedy struck during a raid in the town of Yabad, west of Jenin, where Israeli troops fatally shot 28-year-old Asad Amr. Residents said that Israeli forces blocked an ambulance from reaching Amr for over half an hour, according to accounts provided to Al Jazeera.
These recent arrests come amidst escalating tensions in occupied Palestine, with Israeli forces killing at least 457 people during near-daily incursions in the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, including 110 in the Jenin area alone.
Earlier reports detailed further clashes as Israeli forces, accompanied by military bulldozers, conducted raids and destroyed civilian infrastructure in the towns of Qabatiya and Silat al-Dhahr, south of Jenin, as well as in Jenin City and the Jenin refugee camp.
The Israeli army's undercover unit, known for its covert operations, has been active throughout the region since the beginning of the occupation. Members of this unit undergo extensive training to infiltrate Palestinian communities, adopting disguises and blending in with the local population. In recent times, these undercover operations have intensified across the occupied West Bank amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
