Cairo, Egypt – Israeli forces arrested 22 Palestinians in the Hebron Governorate on Saturday. This occurred during separate raids accompanied by violent attacks by settlers against residents, reflecting the ongoing escalation in the West Bank.
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that Israeli forces stormed the village of Al-Zweidin in the Yatta desert, south of Hebron. This occurred after settlers attacked residents under army protection, resulting in a young man being shot in the foot with live ammunition. Others suffered bruises and contusions. It explained that the forces detained dozens at the entrance to the village before arresting 19 of them and transferring them to an unknown location.
Israeli forces also raided the town of Idhna, west of Hebron. Three young men were arrested after violent clashes, while a young worker was severely beaten during a raid on a bakery in the town of Dura, south of the city. The crackdown extended to Qalqilya Governorate, where Israeli forces set up two military checkpoints in the village of Far’ata and stormed the town of Habla. This disrupted civilian movement for hours.
Angry Palestinian statements
For his part, Hassan Abed Rabbo, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority for Prisoners’ Affairs, described the arrests as “part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at breaking the will of Palestinians, particularly in areas threatened by settlement expansion, such as Yatta and Hebron.”
Meanwhile, Fatah spokesman in Hebron, Akram Rajoub, asserted that “the daily Israeli crimes come amid dubious political attempts to push through the Trump plan. The ‘occupation’ seeks to exploit them as cover for expanding settlements and suppressing any popular resistance.”
Hamas, in a statement, considered the arrests “not to deter the Palestinian people from confronting the occupation.” It emphasized that “Trump’s plan will not pass, and that resistance in all its forms will continue in defense of land and identity.”
Link to the American plan
This escalation in the field comes at a sensitive time, as some Palestinian factions’ announcement that they have accepted US President Donald Trump’s plan as a basis for discussion has sparked widespread controversy in the political arena.
While some political figures believe that partial acceptance could open a window for international dialogue, resistance factions assert that the plan represents “the complete liquidation of the Palestinian cause” and “legitimizes settlement activity.”
International positions and concluding analysis
In contrast, the European Union expressed “deep concern” over the increasing arrests and violations in the West Bank, stressing that these practices “undermine the chances of returning to any serious political process.” Meanwhile, the United Nations emphasized that “the Trump plan cannot be a just basis for a settlement,” especially if Israel continues to impose a fait accompli through settlement construction and arrests.
Analysts believe that Israel’s continued escalation on the ground, coupled with talk of partial acceptance of the Trump plan in some quarters, places the Palestinian issue at a dangerous crossroads. It either faces continued confrontation and division, or the search for a new political formula that guarantees a minimum of national rights amid a volatile regional and international environment.
