Israel’s Crackdown on Tulkarem: Over 100 Palestinians Detained as West Bank Tensions Escalate:

Israeli forces have detained more than 100 Palestinians in large-scale raids across the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to reports from Al Jazeera Arabic. A curfew has been imposed on the area, as tensions continue to rise in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The raids come amid an intensifying Israeli military offensive in Gaza City, which has already displaced more than 200,000 Palestinians. Israeli forces claim the Tulkarem operation followed an incident where two Israeli soldiers were wounded after their vehicle was hit by an explosive device. According to eyewitnesses and local media, soldiers stormed cafes, shops, and homes, arresting residents and even detaining individuals in their vehicles. Many were reportedly forced to march in a line toward an Israeli checkpoint, a move being widely condemned as collective punishment. The recent crackdown follows a deadly shooting attack in occupied East Jerusalem earlier this week, where six people were killed. The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the attack, and the two suspects were later killed by Israeli forces. In response, Israeli authorities have ordered the demolition of the suspects' homes and imposed sanctions on their family members and the residents of their hometowns—Qatanna and al-Qubeiba, northwest of Jerusalem. Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut described the situation as “a complete siege and lockdown,” adding that “collective punishment is in full swing in the occupied West Bank.” Worsening Humanitarian Crisis Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has intensified its campaign in the occupied West Bank in parallel with its war on Gaza. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, thousands arrested, and hundreds of homes and vital infrastructure destroyed. The impact has been devastating. According to Amnesty International, the situation amounts to a war crime under international law. “Israel’s deadly military operation in the occupied West Bank, unfolding in the horrific shadow of its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, has had catastrophic consequences,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s senior director for Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced, facing immense challenges with no safe return in sight. Settler Violence and Government Rhetoric Adding fuel to the crisis, Israeli settler violence has surged since the onset of the war on Gaza. Between October 7, 2023, and December 31, 2024, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented at least 1,860 incidents of settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. At the political level, far-right Israeli leaders have escalated anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated at an event in the illegal settlement of Maale Adumim: “We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state. This place belongs to us.” Despite international condemnation and a 2024 UN resolution urging Israel to end its occupation, settlement expansion continues unabated, posing a significant barrier to peace in the region.

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