Sat Dec 27 13:52:06 UTC 2025: News Article:
Israeli Forces Conduct Mass Arrests, Displace Families in West Bank Town of Qabatiya
Qabatiya, Occupied West Bank – Israeli forces have launched a sweeping military operation in the Palestinian town of Qabatiya, resulting in mass arrests and the displacement of dozens of families. The incursion, now in its second day, comes after an order from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to “act forcefully” against the town, citing it as the origin of a Palestinian suspect in a recent attack in northern Israel.
Local sources reported that Israeli forces sealed off Qabatiya’s entrances on Saturday, conducting widespread interrogations of residents and converting homes into temporary interrogation centers. The Palestinian Wafa news agency confirmed the displacement of families due to the military’s actions. Israeli Army Radio reported a “full curfew” imposed on the town.
The Israeli military stated that troops from multiple divisions, border police, and Shin Bet security service members were deployed to Qabatiya. They raided the home of the alleged attacker, preparing for its demolition. Rights groups have long condemned Israel’s practice of demolishing the homes of Palestinians accused of attacks, calling it an illegal form of collective punishment.
The military also claimed its forces would “scan additional locations” and “work to arrest wanted individuals and locate weapons.” A Qabatiya resident expressed fear amid the intensified military presence and perceived “Israeli threats and Israeli incitement.”
The raids extended to other areas in the West Bank, including villages near Ramallah and Hebron. Wafa reported assaults and arrests in Dura, Abda, and Imreish.
These incursions are part of near-daily Israeli military activity in the occupied West Bank since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. Since then, nearly 21,000 Palestinians have been arrested. As of December 1, approximately 9,300 Palestinians were in Israeli jails, with over a third detained without charges. Reports of torture, sexual abuse, and even deaths of Palestinian prisoners in custody have surfaced.
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