Escalation in the West Bank: Homes burned in Hebron, structures demolished in Jenin, and widespread arrests

The village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, experienced a harsh night, as groups of settlers set fire to five homes and several vehicles belonging to Palestinian citizens. Local sources reported that the attack occurred while residents were performing Tarawih prayers, causing extreme panic among women and children and significant material damage to properties.

Jihad Al-Nawaj'a, head of the Susiya village council, confirmed that more than 50 settlers participated in the systematic assault, deliberately setting fire to homes before withdrawing from the area. The attackers also fired tear gas canisters inside inhabited houses, resulting in at least four citizens suffering from suffocation, who were treated on site.

For its part, the human rights organization "Al-Baydar" documented the attack, noting that settler attacks in the Masafer Yatta area are part of a policy aimed at forcibly displacing residents. The organization explained that the fires consumed the contents of homes and cars, amid an escalation in settler violence, which has recorded hundreds of attacks since the beginning of this year.

In a related context, a special Israeli force stormed Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, where they besieged a house in the market district amid heavy gunfire. Occupation forces pushed additional military reinforcements from the direction of Huwara checkpoint and Al-Quds Street to secure the withdrawal operation after arresting a young man from inside the camp.

The military operation in Balata coincided with intensive overflights by reconnaissance drones in the area, and the sound of explosions resulting from the invading forces being targeted with homemade devices. Sources reported that the army later withdrew after completing its mission, which included searching and vandalizing citizens' properties near the besieged house.

Also in Nablus, the Israeli army arrested a young Palestinian man from Al-Ittihad Street, and circulating video clips documented the moment the young man, who was walking on crutches, was taken away. It was revealed that the detainee had previously suffered from fractures, but this did not prevent the invading forces from arresting him and transferring him to an unknown location early this morning.

Regarding the widespread raid campaigns, the Prisoners' Information Office announced that occupation forces carried out a series of incursions in various governorates of the West Bank, affecting 18 citizens. The arrests included a number of minors, as the invading forces deliberately vandalized the contents of homes and terrorized families during night searches.

In Jenin Governorate, occupation bulldozers carried out demolition operations targeting commercial establishments and buildings at the entrance to Anza village. The demolition affected a building and commercial shops belonging to citizen Nasser Al-Awwad, in addition to Al-Adel Cafe, as part of the ongoing economic restrictions on villages and towns adjacent to main roads.

Human rights statistics indicate a dangerous escalation in settler attacks, with 468 attacks recorded in January alone, including physical violence, burning fields, and uprooting trees. Approximately 770,000 settlers reside in the West Bank, distributed among hundreds of settlements and pastoral outposts that serve as a starting point for these attacks.

In other areas of Hebron, armed settlers chased sheep herders from the Al-Na'amin family in Khirbet Iqwaweis in Masafer Yatta, preventing them from reaching pastures. Settlers also blocked the road in Wadi Sa'ir north of Hebron, hindering the movement of Palestinian vehicles through vital bypass roads.

It is worth noting that the West Bank has been in a state of turmoil since October 2023, with the death toll rising to 1,117 Palestinians, in addition to more than 11,500 injured. These developments come amid tightened military restrictions on Palestinian cities and villages coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan.

More than 50 settlers attacked the village during Tarawih prayers, setting fire to homes and fleeing amidst the screams of women and children.