Israeli army raids Nablus, Qalandia refugee camp in northern West Bank amid escalation

Israeli army forces raided Nablus city and the Qalandia refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Monday, in the latest escalation in the occupied territory, local sources said.

Israeli forces swept into Nablus through the al-Murabba checkpoint and deployed in the al-Makhfiya and Ras al-Ain neighborhoods before advancing into the old city, raiding and searching several homes, the sources told Anadolu.

No information was yet available about any arrests or injuries during the raid.

Nablus is one of the main cities in the northern West Bank that sees frequent incursions as part of ongoing Israeli military operations in the occupied territory.

The incursion came shortly after Israeli forces raided the Qalandia refugee camp and the outskirts of the nearby towns of Kafr Aqab and al-Ram, north of occupied East Jerusalem.

According to witnesses, Israeli forces raided and evacuated several houses and turned them into military barracks.

Several Palestinians were detained and interrogated during the raid, they added.

In a related development, the army deployed drones over the camp during the raid, while circulating videos showed home raids and doors being forced open, amid heightened tensions among residents.

The Israeli army also carried out similar arrest operations in the towns of al-Ram and Kafr Aqab, according to witnesses.

The Qalandia refugee camp lies along a main road connecting East Jerusalem and Ramallah and is located in an area that frequently sees tensions between Palestinians and the Israeli army.

The West Bank has witnessed a surge in military operations and occupier attacks since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,154 Palestinians, the injury of about 11,750 others, and the arrest of nearly 22,000, according to official Palestinian data.

*Writing by Lina Altawell in Istanbul