The Israeli military has conducted multiple raids in the occupied West Bank as heavy fighting continues in the Gaza Strip. These raids come a day after the United States used its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to block demands for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The raids, which started overnight and continued into Saturday, took place in several locations including Jenin, Qalqilya, Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron. At least 15 Palestinians were detained during these raids, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Tragically, a teenager was killed by Israeli forces in Dura, in the south of Hebron, and a 25-year-old Palestinian named Sari Yousef Amr, who was shot by Israeli forces, also died.
Since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on October 7, at least 273 people, including 63 children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank. In Gaza, the death toll stands at 17,500. Raids have become a daily occurrence in various Palestinian towns and cities in the occupied West Bank, with reports of Israel even detaining people who were previously released as part of a truce deal. The number of Palestinian arrests continues to rise, causing concern among Palestinians that those who were released could be re-arrested at any moment.
During the first four days of a weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas, Israel released 150 Palestinian prisoners. However, during the same period, at least 133 Palestinians from East Jerusalem and the West Bank were arrested. Since Hamas’s infiltration and attack on October 7, over 3,600 people have been arrested. In recent raids, Israeli forces detained four brothers of Bilal Diab, reported member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, and a minor from Qalqilya. Additionally, at least four Palestinians were detained in Ramallah, with more detentions in Bethlehem and Hebron.
In Gaza, Israeli military jets have been targeting various parts of the strip, including the southern city of Khan Younis and Rafah. The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least five people were killed in an attack in Rafah, a city designated as safe by the Israeli military. The ongoing offensive has led to the displacement of many Palestinians, with Rafah near the Egyptian border becoming a camp of despair and desperation. The destruction in areas like Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah is extensive, making it challenging to rescue those injured. The UN estimates that about 80 percent of the population in Gaza has been displaced, leading to dire shortages of food, fuel, water, and medicine.
The situation in Rafah is particularly dire, with people lacking basic supplies and facing the threat of starvation. The tents provided for shelter are inadequate, and the possibility of floods due to rain adds to the misery. The conflict has also taken a toll on medical workers, with the death toll rising. In response, more than a dozen World Health Organization member states have submitted a draft resolution urging Israel to respect its obligations under international law to protect medical and humanitarian workers, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities in Gaza. Only 14 out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are currently functioning, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.
The situation in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip remains highly volatile, with the Israeli military conducting raids and airstrikes, and Palestinian armed group Hamas launching attacks. The international community continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.
