Israel detains nearly 100 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Shafaq News – West Bank

Israeli forces carried out one of the largest arrest campaigns in months across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, detaining about 100 Palestinians in coordinated pre-dawn raids that swept through at least six cities and multiple towns.

According to Palestinian media, Israeli units stormed Nablus, Salfit, Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, and Jericho, as well as neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem, setting up checkpoints, searching homes, and conducting field interrogations before transferring dozens to undisclosed locations.

Among those seized was Dr. Nasser al-Din al-Shaer, a former Palestinian deputy prime minister and minister of education (2006–2007). Al-Shaer, who has been detained repeatedly in recent years, was held for hours before being released following field questioning.

Israel has intensified its military operations across the West Bank since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry and human rights organizations, at least 1,092 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 11,000 wounded by Israeli forces and armed settlers during this period.

Arrest operations have surged at an unprecedented scale. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society estimated that more than 21,000 Palestinians have been detained since October 2023—many held without charge under Israel’s administrative detention system.