Israeli army raids several areas across West Bank to arrest Palestinians

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Israeli forces at dawn on Tuesday raided several areas across the occupied West Bank to arrest Palestinians.

Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the cities of Nablus, Qalqilya in the northern West Bank and the cities of Ramallah and Hebron in the central and southern West Bank, respectively, and surrounding areas.

Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the village of Qusra near Nablus, where at least two Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces.

Two other Palestinians, a man and a woman, were detained by Israeli forces from Qalqilya, witnesses added.

The Israeli army also raided several villages near Ramallah including Sinjil, Umm Safa, Deir Ibzi, and Ajjul, and detained five Palestinians.

Palestinian prisoners' groups have yet to comment on the Israeli arrests and clarify the exact number.

Over the past few years the Israeli military has been regularly carrying out raids in the West Bank, which escalated with the start of the war on Gaza last October. Palestinians have also faced violent attacks from illegal settlers.

At least 548 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,200 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara