Israeli security forces have arrested more than 100 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past seven days, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS), as widespread violence and raids continue to sweep through the occupied territory. The detention figures include minors, journalists, and individuals who had previously been released under recent prisoner exchange agreements.
In a statement released Thursday, the PPS, which monitors arrest conditions and detention practices, alleged that Israeli forces have escalated their operational tempo across the region. The group cited numerous reports of abuses, including interrogations conducted in the field, physical assaults on detainees, threats directed at families, and instances of extrajudicial killings.
The PPS reported that military operations involved extensive home raids characterized by property searches, damage to residences, and, in some cases, the occupation of homes for military purposes. Authorities were also accused of detaining individuals to coerce relatives into compliance and conducting sweeps of entire neighborhoods. Among those detained this week were Ahmad al-Sayfi, a former prisoner from Birzeit, and journalists Muath Amarneh and Sabri Jibril.
Additionally, the rights group stated that Israeli settlers carried out attacks against Palestinians and their property, including vehicle assaults and road blockades, often with the protection of Israeli forces. Since the outbreak of war in October 2023, the PPS has documented more than 25,000 detentions in the West Bank, with thousands additional arrests occurring in Gaza.
On Thursday morning, Israeli troops launched a dawn raid in the town of Burqa, located northwest of Nablus, detaining 15 Palestinians during a six-hour operation that involved storming homes and arresting occupants, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Burqa has recently faced frequent attacks from settlers and soldiers, alongside numerous home demolitions.
Separately, Wafa reported that Israeli forces detained Salloum Radwan, a resident of Azzun east of Qalqilya, for several hours and confiscated his truck. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera correspondent Givara Budeiri reported that special forces raided an apartment in Beitunia, near Ramallah, arresting two men and causing significant damage inside the residence before withdrawing. Both detainees were transferred to an Israeli prison.
Further south, Israeli forces announced the arrest of at least 20 Palestinians in the Arroub refugee camp near Bethlehem, alleging the individuals were planning attacks. In a separate incident in Battir, west of Bethlehem, forces demolished a house.
Tensions also rose in occupied East Jerusalem, where settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday to perform religious rituals, a daily occurrence described by Budeiri. The Jerusalem Governorate warned that settlers might exploit upcoming Jewish holidays to move from a traditional time-sharing arrangement to a spatial division of the site, effectively partitioning the holy ground. The Palestinian presidency and Foreign Ministry reiterated that the entire site is an Islamic holy place. In response to the anticipated gatherings, Israeli police stated they have deployed additional units across Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of the holidays.
The spatial division threat at Al-Aqsa sounds like a major escalation waiting to happen.
Is there any accountability for the alleged field interrogations and physical assaults mentioned in the report?
My family in Nablus reports similar raids. The constant fear is exhausting everyone in the region.
Over 25,000 detentions since October seems unsustainable. What is the long-term strategic goal here?
The detention of journalists is deeply troubling. A free press needs protection, not harassment during conflicts.