Israeli forces raid West Bank town, settlers attack homes near Bethlehem

Israeli forces entered Yabad southwest of Jenin early Saturday with approximately 15 military vehicles, blocking entrances with earth mounds and raiding homes where they conducted field interrogations, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. The forces raided dozens of residences, beating several young men and damaging home contents during the operation, the agency reported.

Yabad Mayor Samer Abu Bakr told Wafa that Israeli forces turned the home of Palestinian resident Ibrahim Amour into a field interrogation center, where several residents were detained for hours. The operation formed part of a broader escalation of military incursions across the northern West Bank that have intensified since October 2023.

Settler violence near Bethlehem

In a separate incident, Israeli settlers attacked the home of Ahmad al-Hajj in the University Housing area east of Bethlehem, smashing all windows, according to a security source cited by the agency. Other settlers grazed sheep near Palestinian homes in the Hamroush area of Beit Fajjar and were spotted near the residence of Ibrahim Abu Odeh in the Abu Najim area east of Bethlehem, Wafa added.

Annexation fears

Since Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army and settlers have intensified attacks across the West Bank, killing at least 1,182 Palestinians, injuring around 13,000 others and arresting nearly 25,000, according to official Palestinian figures. Palestinian officials stated that the escalatory attacks aim to pave the way for Israel's formal annexation of the West Bank, undermining prospects for an independent Palestinian state envisioned in UN resolutions.