WEST BANK, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out widespread raids across the West Bank early Tuesday morning, storming dozens of homes and arresting a large number of Palestinians, including former prisoners.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society reported that IOF troops searched homes, vandalized their contents, and subjected residents to field interrogations, detaining some for hours.
In Jenin governorate, northern West Bank, several individuals were arrested.
Israeli forces also detained a Palestinian father from Al-Silah Al-Harithiya in an attempt to pressure his son to surrender.
In Nablus, raids targeted the city, Askar refugee camp, and the town of Salem. Two Palestinians were detained during the raids, including a former prisoner. Shops were also raided, including a toy store on University Street.
In Salfit, IOF troops raided homes in Kafr ad-Dik and re-arrested a former prisoner. In Azzun, east of Qalqilya, two men were arrested from their homes.
IOF also closed entrances to several villages south of Nablus, including Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, Qabalan, and As-Sawiya, and set up a checkpoint restricting movement between Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya and Salfit.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli forces demolished homes, walls, and roads in Silwan, in Occupied Jerusalem.
Local sources said Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, raided the Al-Bustan neighborhood, blocked access roads, and demolished four homes. Bulldozers also destroyed boundary walls and carried out land clearing operations. Three families were ordered to evacuate their homes by Saturday in preparation for further demolitions.
Demolition and eviction notices have intensified in Al-Bustan as part of efforts to pressure residents to leave.
Fakhri Abu Diab, a member of the Silwan Land Defense Committee, said the neighborhood once had 120 homes about 15 years ago, but only 66 remain today after 54 were demolished by the end of February, in addition to the latest demolitions.
He added that 37 homes have been demolished since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, with Israeli actions escalating significantly over the past two years.
Israeli authorities claim Al-Bustan was historically “King David’s garden” and aim to level the area to expand the adjacent “national park” in Wadi Hilweh, managed by the settler organization Elad.
The park, known as the “City of David,” has been operated by Elad since the 1990s, with increasing efforts in recent years to incorporate Al-Bustan into the project.
As part of these efforts, Israeli authorities issued notices in January to confiscate approximately seven dunums of land (around 7,000 square meters), claiming it would be used for “public parks and parking,” despite the land belonging to local residents whose homes had been demolished.