Israeli Forces Arrest 21 Palestinians, Including Journalist, in West Bank Raids
RAMALLAH, PALESTINE — WEB DESK: Israeli forces arrested 21 Palestinians, including a journalist, during overnight and early-morning raids across several areas of the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office.
The non-governmental Palestinian group said the arrests included seven people in Bethlehem governorate, nine in Nablus, four in Salfit and a journalist in Hebron, producing the reported total of 21.
The raids came amid heightened tensions across the West Bank, where Palestinians, Israeli settlers and Israeli forces have been involved in a series of violent incidents in recent weeks. Reuters reported that two Palestinian teenagers were killed a day earlier during an incident involving Israeli settlers and soldiers in al-Mughayyir near Ramallah.
Seven Arrested in Bethlehem
According to the Prisoners Media Office account carried by Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians during raids on homes in Al-Doha, Dheisheh refugee camp and the Al-Fawaghra neighbourhood in Bethlehem governorate.
Forces also entered Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, where a father and his two sons were arrested after their home was searched, the group said.
That brought the reported Bethlehem total to seven.
The available account does not specify allegations or charges against each of those detained. They should therefore not be characterised as having been convicted of, or necessarily charged with, criminal or security offences.
Nine Palestinians Reported Arrested in Nablus
The largest number of arrests was reported in Nablus governorate, where nine Palestinians were taken into custody.
The Prisoners Media Office said two people were arrested during a raid on Asira al-Qibliya, south of Nablus, while another was arrested at Askar refugee camp. Three more were reported arrested in Awarta, two in Bizzariya and another on Amman Street in Nablus city.
Separate Palestinian reporting on Thursday also documented widespread Israeli raids in Nablus and surrounding villages, including home searches and detentions.
In Sebastia, northwest of Nablus, Israeli forces also detained the mother and sister of a Palestinian prisoner and questioned them in the field before releasing them, according to the Palestinian group. Those temporary detentions are separate from the reported tally of 21 arrests.
Four Arrested in Salfit
Israeli forces also arrested four Palestinians in Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit, after raiding their homes, according to the Prisoners Media Office.
The group alleged that soldiers disturbed or damaged property during the searches and seized a vehicle belonging to one of those arrested.
These details come from the Palestinian organisation’s account and were not independently verified in the reporting reviewed.
Journalist Arrested in Hebron Governorate
The 21st person in the reported tally was a Palestinian journalist arrested in Idhna, west of Hebron.
The reports reviewed did not identify the journalist by name or state the legal basis for the arrest.
Separate reporting from the Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli forces conducted a broader operation in Idhna on Thursday, raiding homes and temporarily detaining around 30 Palestinians for field interrogation.
That figure should not be added to the 21 arrests as though the reports describe entirely separate groups. The accounts cover overlapping operations in the same area and use different definitions of arrest and temporary field detention.
West Bank Violence Remains Elevated
The latest raids took place against a backdrop of continued violence across the occupied West Bank.
On Wednesday, two Palestinian youths, aged 16 and 19, were killed during an incident in al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah. Palestinian officials said they were shot during an attack involving settlers and Israeli troops.
The Israeli military told Reuters its forces had responded to what it described as a “violent disturbance” involving stone-throwing and said the incident was under investigation.
The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Most countries and international legal bodies regard Israeli settlements in the territory as illegal under international law, while Israel disputes some of those legal interpretations.
Recent weeks have also brought renewed international attention to settler violence. In Qusra, Palestinian residents have reported prolonged restrictions and repeated attacks around their homes, while Israeli authorities have also made arrests in investigations into violence against Palestinians elsewhere in the West Bank.
Arrest Figure Comes From Palestinian Group
A key qualification in Thursday’s story is the source of the 21-person arrest tally.
The figure comes from the Prisoners Media Office, a Palestinian non-governmental organisation, and was reported by Anadolu Agency and other regional outlets.
The reporting reviewed did not contain a corresponding Israeli military statement confirming the full list of 21 arrests or detailing allegations against each detainee.
The figure should therefore be attributed rather than presented as an independently established Israeli government count.
The raids nevertheless form part of a broader pattern of Israeli military operations across multiple West Bank governorates on Thursday, with separate Palestinian sources documenting activity in Hebron and Nablus.
