Full Closure Imposed on West Bank: Israeli Forces Raid at Least 15 Towns, Detain Dozens of Palestinians

Within hours of a full closure being declared on the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces raided at least 15 towns and communities, detaining dozens of Palestinians. The raids began after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a complete lockdown of the West Bank following an attack in Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers.

Saturday's raids focused mainly on towns in the northern West Bank. Israeli troops entered Nablus, Jenin, Tubas, Qalqilya and several surrounding communities, searching homes and taking many people into custody.

In the Nablus area, forces raided Palestinian homes in the villages of Jalud and Qaryut and made arrests. Arrests were also reported in Arrabeh and Burqin near Jenin, while Israeli forces entered Tubas and the nearby town of Aqqaba.

The situation was even harsher in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, where Israeli bulldozers demolished a three-storey building. Families were reportedly given just five minutes to collect their belongings before the building was brought down.

Hundreds of Palestinian families were ordered to forcibly evacuate their homes in the Ein Deir Bahha area of Hebron and its surroundings. Troops also surrounded the home of one of the suspects in the shooting attack, while carrying out raids in the city's al-Jalda neighbourhood.

The Israeli army said late on Friday that its operation in Hebron would last for several days, in addition to operations by other forces in dozens of areas across the West Bank. Further east, Israeli forces also entered Jericho and the nearby Aqabat Jabr refugee camp.

With the lockdown in force, nearly 1,000 checkpoints and gates across the West Bank will be closed, affecting millions of Palestinians and raising fears of severe disruption to daily life, travel, healthcare and work.

Netanyahu gave the order on Friday, shortly after the Israeli military said it had killed two Palestinian gunmen who attacked a reserve battalion near the settlement of Telem, killing two soldiers. Israel's ambulance service reported that at least three more soldiers were injured in addition to the two who died. All Israeli settlements, including Telem, are illegal under international law.

Tensions across the West Bank were already running high ahead of Tuesday's Israeli elections. Attacks by settlers and soldiers on Palestinians harvesting olives have also been rising in the harvest season, and it was against this backdrop that the new large-scale military operation began.

Responding to the attack, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to take full control of the West Bank, where the Israeli government has been encouraging the construction of numerous settlements.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative political party, said incitement from far-right Israeli ministers is making the situation worse. The closure, he said, turns every city and village into a small prison, with checkpoints and gates blocking healthcare, the economy and education. He warned that such collective punishment will lead to explosions.

It is still unclear how long the Hebron operation, announced to run for several days, and the wider West Bank closure will continue. The number of detainees may rise further, and a prolonged closure would deepen the hardship of ordinary Palestinians.