RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Israeli army stormed a wedding ceremony Friday in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, detaining the groom and several guests for about an hour before releasing them, according to witnesses.

Witnesses told Anadolu that an Israeli force raided the celebration for the Abu Turki family at the Sofia Hall in the Umm al-Dalia area of central Hebron.

Israeli forces detained the groom and several young men at the wedding for nearly an hour, forcing them to raise their hands, according to the witnesses.

They added that the troops also vandalized several cars parked near the wedding venue. The reason, behind the raid and detentions, however, remains unclear.

The escalation by the Israeli army in the West Bank came after a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal took effect Jan. 19 in the Gaza Strip following 15 months of an Israeli genocidal war that killed more than 47,400 victims and reduced the enclave to rubble.

Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the escalation in the West Bank because of threats from right-wing parties to bring down his government over the ceasefire, which they oppose.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 894 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied territory in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.