RAMALLAH — The Israeli army arrested 21 Palestinians, including released detainees, during a series of raids across the occupied West Bank early Tuesday, according to media reports.
In the southern West Bank, the army raided Al-Fawwar refugee camp south of Hebron, stormed dozens of homes and detained about 25 Palestinians, subjecting them to field interrogations before releasing most of them, the Prisoners’ Media Office said in a statement. Six remained detained.
In Bethlehem governorate, the army arrested 11 Palestinians from different areas, including former prisoner Marwan Mahmoud Fararja, secretary of the Fatah movement in Aida refugee camp, the group said.
A Palestinian security source said Israeli forces arrested a 30-year-old man from the town of Tuqu’, east of Bethlehem, and two others from the Saf Street area of the city, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
In the northern West Bank, the Israeli army arrested a Palestinian from the village of Kafr Qalil east of Nablus and another from the town of Tammun, south of Tubas governorate, the group added.
Israeli forces also arrested two Palestinians in Tulkarem governorate after raiding and searching their homes, according to the statement.
“The wide and simultaneous arrest campaigns in several governorates reflect a continued escalation in the occupation’s policy against Palestinians, especially former prisoners and activists, through nighttime raids, mass field interrogations and abuse of citizens,” the Prisoners’ Media Office said.
Separately, a video circulating since Monday evening showed a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank after he was arrested by the Israeli army over his monitoring of Israeli military raids through a Telegram group.
The Palestinian, from the village of Arbouna east of Jenin, appeared in the video seated on a chair in a public place, with two Israeli soldiers pointing their rifles at him while a third soldier, identified in the clip as “Captain Youssef,” filmed him.
The Israeli army forced the Palestinian to deliver a message to members of his Telegram group, saying the army had reached his home and arrested him. He urged followers to leave the group and warned that the army would arrest anyone who remained in it.
“I know every person in the group, and everyone who filmed the army or bothered the army,” the Israeli officer said in the recording, adding: “We reach everyone who crosses the line against us.”
“I advise every person in this group to leave it to preserve his safety and the safety of his family,” the speaker said.
The young man, who managed the group that residents of the area used to follow Israeli army movements and raids into villages and towns, was arrested in Arbouna, local sources told Anadolu.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the incident.
The arrest came amid an Israeli escalation in the West Bank by the army and settlers. Since October 2023, the escalation has killed 1,173 Palestinians, wounded 12,666, led to the arrest of about 23,000 and displaced 33,000, according to official Palestinian figures.
West Bank cities and towns have seen near-daily Israeli raids, including arrests and home searches, amid an escalation in Israeli military operations since October 2023.
Source: Saudi Gazette