Israeli forces launched violent raids on multiple mosques in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus at dawn on the first Friday of Ramadan, preventing worshippers from performing prayers and arresting several Palestinians.

Troops stormed at least six mosques in Nablus’ historic Old City, ransacking prayer halls and unleashing chaos. The targeted mosques included Al-Satoon, Ajaj, Salah al-Din, Al-Tina, Al-Nasr, and Al-Beik. Soldiers fired live ammunition, stun grenades, and gas bombs as they advanced through residential neighbourhoods. During the raid, a fire broke out in one of the mosques, further deepening the devastation.

At the same time, Israeli forces carried out house-to-house searches, leaving destruction in their wake and arresting at least three Palestinians. These latest attacks come amid an intensifying military campaign in the occupied West Bank, widely seen as part of a broader effort to seize more Palestinian land.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have escalated their assaults, killing at least 930 Palestinians and wounding nearly 7,000 in the West Bank alone. Initially focused on refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nour Shams, the raids have now expanded across the region.

Despite a ruling from the International Court of Justice in July 2024 declaring Israel’s occupation illegal and calling for the evacuation of all settlements, Tel Aviv has continued its aggression. As it wages war on Gaza, where over 48,446 Palestinians have been killed, the occupation’s expansion in the West Bank serves as a reminder of its relentless push to erase Palestinian presence from their own land.