In a continuation of the mass arrest policy pursued by Israeli occupation forces across the West Bank, the governorate of Hebron witnessed a violent raid campaign at dawn on Saturday. The operation led to the arrest of 16 Palestinian citizens and was accompanied by severe human rights violations affecting both individuals and property.
Israeli forces stormed several villages and towns in the governorate, most notably Dura, Beit Awwa, and Halhul. Residents were arrested following aggressive raids on their homes, during which the soldiers ransacked belongings and vandalised private property. The raids were marked by intimidation, including physical assaults in front of family members – elderly people and children among them.
In Dura, southwest of Hebron, the occupation forces raided the Al-Namous Al-Fouqa neighbourhood and arrested Jihad Al-Sabar and his two sons, Faisal and Fadi. They also confiscated agricultural supplies and fertilisers from their private nursery – a direct blow to the family’s livelihood.
In Khirbet Iskaq, Israeli forces carried out further raids and arrested nine individuals from a single family, including brothers and cousins. The scene mirrored the recurring pattern of collective arrests carried out in a punitive manner.
In Beit Awwa, residents Othman and Bilal Masalmeh were detained. Meanwhile, in Halhul, north of Hebron, citizens Reda Al-Wawi and Rasem Hermas were arrested without clear charges or legal arrest warrants, in a blatant violation of the right to liberty and personal security.
These arrests were also accompanied by physical assaults. Detainees were subjected to severe beatings and verbal abuse during home raids – a flagrant breach of the rights of detainees enshrined in international treaties, particularly the Convention Against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In addition to the arrests, Israeli forces imposed a tight security cordon on several areas in Hebron. They erected military checkpoints at the entrances of towns and refugee camps, and blocked roads with iron gates, concrete blocks, and earth mounds – further compounding the suffering of residents and restricting freedom of movement, especially for students, patients, and workers.
This campaign is part of a broader pattern of punitive measures targeting Palestinian civilians under the pretext of security. However, the facts on the ground indicate a systematic policy aimed at subjugating the population and enforcing a suffocating security reality that contravenes even the most basic internationally recognised rights.
The situation in Hebron reflects a state of total impunity, with no accountability for the soldiers or officers responsible for these violations. Meanwhile, the daily suffering of the local population continues amid the absence of genuine international protection.
