Pre-Dawn Raids Tighten Grip Across the West Bank

A wave of pre-dawn military raids swept through the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on Sunday, resulting in dozens of Palestinians being taken as prisoners and widespread damage to homes and property. Residents described heavily armed units entering neighbourhoods without warning, forcing searches that disrupted families and left visible destruction behind. In several locations, confrontations erupted as communities reacted to the incursions.

In East Jerusalem, operations focused on areas surrounding Damascus Gate, where Issa Khaled Al-Zaghal was taken prisoner. Two other residents, Khalil Al-Abbasi and Rafiq Qabaj, were also seized during the same operation. Witnesses reported that multiple districts were entered simultaneously, with doors broken down, belongings damaged and homes left in disarray following prolonged searches.

Across the southern West Bank, towns and refugee camps were subjected to similar actions. Tarqumiya, near Hebron, saw extensive house searches, while further incursions were reported in Al-Fawwar refugee camp, Yatta and Dura. Residents in these areas said clashes broke out and that several people were beaten during the raids. Additional confrontations were reported in Beit Ummar. In the central region, forces entered areas east of Ramallah, taking a young woman as a prisoner, and later moved into the village of Al-Mughayyir, where live fire and stun grenades were reportedly used.

Further north, operations extended into the Jenin governorate, including Silat al-Harithiya and Deir Abu Daif, where homes were searched, among them the residence of a former prisoner. In Nablus, twelve people were taken during night-time house raids in Asira al-Shamaliya and Beit Furik. Additional prisoners were reported in Tulkarm and Qalqilya, where five young men were detained at a military checkpoint. These raids come alongside new measures aimed at extending security and administrative control over large parts of the West Bank, reinforcing a system of domination that many see as inseparable from the broader genocidal war shaping life across the occupied territories.

Source : Safa News