IOF Intensify Raids Across West Bank as Settlers Attack Palestinian Villages
Occupation forces detain civilians, assault harvesters, and seal off roads as UN warns of impunity for 757 settler attacks in one year
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Israeli occupation forces carried out a wave of overnight raids across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, detaining at least 16 Palestinians, including a child, and terrorizing residents in multiple towns.
The raids struck several areas, including al-Khalil, where numerous arrests were made, and Ya’bad, south of Jenin, where troops re-arrested a former detainee who had been released just one night earlier.
In al-Bireh, occupation forces surrounded a residence in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood and detained a young man after violently storming his home. Eyewitnesses reported that the IOF beat several detainees and ransacked houses, leaving behind scenes of destruction and fear.
The occupation also erected new military checkpoints at the entrances of al-Khalil and surrounding towns and refugee camps, sealing key roads with iron gates, concrete barriers, and earth mounds to obstruct civilian movement and further suffocate daily life.
Settlers Attack Village Near Ramallah
In a related escalation late Tuesday, Israeli settlers launched an assault on the outskirts of Burqa village, east of Ramallah, attempting to storm the area before being forced to retreat.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, no injuries or property damage were reported, but residents said the attack was intended to provoke and intimidate local families — part of a broader campaign of settler violence taking place under Israeli military protection.
UN: 757 Settler Attacks Documented in One Year
The United Nations has documented 757 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the first half of this year alone, a figure that reflects the deepening lawlessness and impunity characterizing the occupation’s rule.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the attacks are being carried out “in an environment defined by a near-total lack of accountability and protection for the vulnerable population.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces themselves continue to target civilian areas, as seen in the raid on Abu Dis, east of occupied al-Quds, where troops fired tear gas and sound grenades indiscriminately into streets, traumatizing residents and forcing them to flee.
158 Attacks on Olive Harvesters Since October
The head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, Muayyad Shaaban, revealed that since the start of the olive harvest season in early October, Israeli forces and settlers have carried out 158 assaults on Palestinian olive harvesters across West Bank governorates.
Of these, 17 attacks were committed by the Israeli army, and 141 by settlers, involving physical violence, detentions, and the prevention of farmers from reaching their lands — particularly in the Tubas Governorate.
Shaaban emphasized that the olive harvest is deliberately targeted because of its national symbolism and its deep historical, cultural, and economic connection to Palestinian identity.
According to Haaretz, 41 separate attacks by settlers on olive harvesters have already been documented this month alone.
Occupation’s Policy of Terror
The ongoing raids, land seizures, and settler assaults reflect what Palestinian officials describe as a systematic campaign of terror aimed at displacing communities and breaking resistance in the West Bank.
As international condemnation grows, the Israeli regime continues to act with total impunity, shielded by U.S. political support and silence from Western powers.
Despite this, the Palestinian people — from Jenin to al-Khalil, from Ramallah to Tubas — continue to resist with steadfastness and faith, defending their land, dignity, and the legacy of a nation that refuses to surrender. (PW)