Israeli Raids, Settler Attacks Escalate Across Occupied West Bank

BETHLEHEM, Occupied West Bank /PNN / 
Israeli forces carried out a sweeping wave of military raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday morning, storming cities, towns and refugee camps, detaining Palestinians, searching homes and clashing with residents, while attacks by Israeli settlers intensified in several areas, according to local sources.
The military operations, which lasted for hours, included house raids, arrests, field interrogations, alleged assaults on residents, and the firing of live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades, leaving a number of Palestinians injured during confrontations.
Bethlehem Governorate witnessed some of the largest military operations, with Israeli forces conducting successive incursions from the early hours of the morning across multiple locations, including Solomon's Pools, Artas, Al-Khader, Dheisheh and Aida refugee camps, the town of Doha, Hindaza, Khalayel al-Louz, Tuqu', and Za'atara east of Bethlehem.
Israeli soldiers also deployed foot patrols in several neighborhoods of Bethlehem while raiding homes in Hindaza and the Aida and Dheisheh refugee camps. According to local sources, several young Palestinians were arrested, while others were detained, assaulted and subjected to field interrogations. Homes were also searched and household belongings damaged during the raids.
Videos circulated by local residents showed Israeli troops moving repeatedly through several Bethlehem neighborhoods during the night and throughout the previous day, reflecting what local observers described as an intensification of Israeli military activity in the occupied West Bank ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections.
The military raids coincided with a series of attacks by Israeli settlers around Bethlehem. Residents in the Rashayda area reported that settlers repeatedly entered the community over the past 24 hours, followed by incursions by Israeli forces, who carried out field interrogations and allegedly assaulted residents.
Local sources told PNN that Israeli forces arrested Saed Eid from Dheisheh refugee camp, detained and questioned Alaa Shalash from the town of Doha after assaulting him, and raided the home of Ahmad Hajajreh in Aida refugee camp.
Israeli troops also raided the town of Doha, searching several homes, including properties belonging to the Abu Aker family, according to local sources.
Israeli Occupation Forces Demolish Three-Story Residential Building South of Bethlehem After Overnight Evacuation Order
Also on Wednesday morning Israeli forces demolished a three-story residential building in the town of Za'atara, south of Bethlehem, just hours after delivering an evacuation order to its owners, who said they were given no meaningful time to challenge the decision or complete legal proceedings.
The building, measuring approximately 110 square meters per floor, housed seven family members and included two residential apartments and storage units.
Raed Abu Riya, the homeowner, told PNN that Israeli forces arrived Tuesday evening and handed the family an evacuation notice ordering them to leave the property immediately.
"They returned at around 6 a.m. with bulldozers and began demolishing the building," Abu Riya said, adding that the demolition was completed by approximately 7 a.m.
Abu Riya said part of the building had been constructed before the 1990s, while additional sections were completed in 2000.
He said the family had already filed a legal objection challenging the demolition order, but Israeli authorities proceeded with the demolition before the legal process had been completed.
According to Abu Riya, the family had not received a prior demolition order, and the evacuation notice was delivered only on the night before the demolition, leaving them with little time to respond or seek further legal remedies.
Israeli occupation forces raided this morning the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, on Wednesday morning and began demolishing the home of Palestinian resident Mahmoud Husni Shakarna, according to local sources.
The sources said Israeli troops entered the town and deployed in the area known as "Sbeiheh" before carrying out the demolition.
The demolition came after an Israeli court rejected a petition seeking to halt demolition orders against 14 Palestinian homes in Nahalin, clearing the way for the structures to be razed, the sources added.
Violence Spreads Across the West Bank
The escalation in Bethlehem was mirrored across other parts of the occupied West Bank, where Israeli military operations and settler attacks were reported in the governorates of Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya, Salfit, Tulkarm and Jerusalem.
In the Ramallah area, local sources said Israeli settlers opened heavy live fire before dawn while attacking homes on the outskirts of Turmus Ayya, north of the city.
Videos circulating on social media showed fires engulfing Palestinian property as residents shouted while attempting to confront settlers alongside Israeli forces.
Israeli military vehicles also entered the town of Abwein, north of Ramallah, according to local reports.
Settler Violence and Military Operations Continue
In Nablus Governorate, clashes erupted after residents confronted settlers who attacked the village of Jalud, southeast of the city.
Local media also reported that Palestinian youths forced a vehicle carrying Israeli settlers to retreat after it attempted to enter the village of Burin, south of Nablus.
Mosques in the town of Beita sounded loudspeaker warnings calling residents to confront a settler attack targeting the Qamas area on the outskirts of the town.
Israeli forces later entered Beita, while settlers reportedly attacked a Palestinian home near the Murabba checkpoint south of Nablus.
On Monday afternoon, Israeli bulldozers also leveled Palestinian-owned land in the northern area of Qasra village, south of Nablus.
In Salfit Governorate, settlers set fire to agricultural property belonging to a Palestinian farmer in the town of Al-Zawiya, west of the city, local sources said.
In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian man and his wife after raiding their home in the Aqabat neighborhood of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, according to local sources. Israeli troops also entered the town of Bir Nabala, northwest of Jerusalem.
In Jenin, Israeli forces fired stun grenades and established a military checkpoint at Cinema Roundabout near the entrance to the city.
Meanwhile, in Tulkarm, Israeli forces arrested former prisoner Islam Osama Al-Sa'i during a raid on his home in the suburb of Irtah, south of the city, according to local sources. ...