Israel arrests 100 Palestinians in a week as West Bank pogroms continue

What Happened

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Thursday that Israeli forces detained more than 100 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past week, including children, journalists Muath Amarneh and Sabri Jibril, and former prisoner Ahmad al-Sayfi, who had been released in a recent exchange deal. PPS alleged the operations involved field interrogations, physical assaults, threats against families, and, in some cases, extrajudicial killings; it also said Israeli forces raided and damaged homes, occupied some for military use, and swept entire neighbourhoods. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported a dawn raid on Thursday in Burqa, northwest of Nablus, lasting six hours, during which 15 Palestinians were arrested. Al Jazeera correspondent Givara Budeiri reported from Ramallah that Israeli special forces raided an apartment in Beitunia and arrested two men, causing damage inside. The Israeli military said it arrested at least 20 Palestinians in the Arroub refugee camp south of Bethlehem, alleging they had been planning attacks. PPS also said Israeli settlers carried out attacks on Palestinians and property with the protection of Israeli forces, and that more than 25,000 Palestinians have been detained in the West Bank since the war began in October 2023. Settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday and performed religious rituals, which Budeiri described as a now daily occurrence.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The reported surge in West Bank detentions, home raids and settler attacks points to an intensifying Israeli security campaign outside Gaza, adding pressure on the Palestinian Authority and potentially broadening the conflict. The entry of settlers into Al-Aqsa and warnings from Palestinian official bodies about a shift from time-based to spatial division at the compound raise the risk of violence in Jerusalem during an already volatile period, with Jewish holidays approaching and a fragile regional context after the October 2023 war.

Watch For

Monitor upcoming Jewish holidays for any changes to access arrangements at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, including reports of spatial partitioning, and any Israeli police or settler activity there. Track further detentions, particularly of former prisoners released in exchange deals, and whether Israeli operations in Burqa, Beitunia, Arroub refugee camp or other West Bank towns prompt Palestinian responses or international statements.