UPDATE – Israeli army detains at least 37 Palestinians in raids across occupied West Bank

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, ADDS DECK

By Qais Omar Darwesh Omar

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces detained at least 37 Palestinians and injured one during a series of raids across the occupied West Bank on the second day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday, local sources told Anadolu.

In the southern city of Hebron, Israeli troops stormed the town of Beit Ula, searching homes and commercial shops, eyewitnesses said.

During the raid, soldiers opened fire and injured a Palestinian man, though the severity of his condition was not immediately known.

In the Jabal Jales area of Hebron, the army carried out a separate operation, detaining 20 Palestinians and transferring them for interrogation, according to local sources. Residents said Israeli forces converted a residential building into a temporary military post and conducted field interrogations of detainees.

Footage circulated on social media showed detainees being led away blindfolded and with their hands bound as soldiers escorted them to an interrogation site.

Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilya early Thursday, detaining 13 Palestinians after searching multiple homes, local sources said. Military vehicles entered eastern Qalqilya, the New Askar refugee camp and the Al-Taawun Al-Awsat Street area, where homes were searched and property was reportedly ransacked.

The arrests bring the total number of Palestinians detained in the West Bank during the raids to at least 37, according to eyewitness accounts and local sources.

The Palestinian Prisoner Society NGO said Israeli arrest operations in the occupied West Bank have intensified since the start of Ramadan.

“The arrests escalated in an unusual manner with the beginning of the holy month,” Amjad Al-Najjar, head of the society, told Anadolu, adding that women and children were among those detained as part of what he described as a systematic policy of pressure against Palestinians.

Najjar said the arrests have continued across various areas, particularly in Hebron, where he noted a marked increase since October.

He added that cities such as Tulkarem and Jenin have also faced large-scale military operations, while Hebron is experiencing what he described as a “silent attrition” through sustained detentions and tight military control.

He said arrest operations are often accompanied by forced home entries, the use of police dogs, property damage and, in some cases, preventing detainees from dressing before being taken away. He said female students have also been targeted.

Najjar described the escalation as an attempt to intimidate residents and consolidate control over the occupied West Bank.

Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation -- including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion -- as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref