Israeli forces storm Ramallah villages, seize Palestinian homes

Israeli occupation forces launched a wave of raids across several villages east of Ramallah on Sunday evening, firing live ammunition into civilian streets, converting residential homes into military outposts, and erecting checkpoints that paralyzed movement, the latest escalation in a sustained campaign of military pressure across the occupied West Bank.

In Kafr Malik, troops advanced through village streets firing live rounds, triggering widespread panic among residents. In the nearby town of Deir Jarir, occupation forces deployed in the Wadi al-Jami’ area, conducting patrols while discharging stun grenades.

The situation was more difficult in al-Mughayyir, where forces stormed the homes of Hamza Asaad Abu Alia and Naseem Abu Alia, forcibly removing their families before converting the properties into military positions. Occupation forces also erected a checkpoint at the town’s western entrance, severing movement and bringing daily life to a standstill.

Further south, near Beit Lahm, occupation forces deployed around the Grand Mosque and al-Yamama neighborhood in al-Khader, firing stun grenades. Three young men were detained, though their identities had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.

Meanwhile, in Beita, south of Nablus, Israeli settlers opened fire at a local power transformer, triggering a power outage, and remained on site following the attack.

Thousands of Israeli violations
Sunday’s raids are part of an accelerating pattern of Israeli military violence that has gripped the West Bank since the start of the year.

According to a report released earlier this week by the Palestine Information Center, “Mu’ta”, occupation forces and settlers have committed 16,880 violations against Palestinians since January, including 3,150 incursions into cities, towns, and refugee camps, accompanied by 2,879 home raids and searches.

The report documented 29 Palestinians martyred by live fire and 576 wounded in raids and confrontations, alongside 1,037 settler attacks on Palestinians and their property. Israeli occupation forces have also stolen 76 homes and 574 properties, displacing 669 Palestinians in the process.

The raids compound the impact of mass arrests carried out as recently as Wednesday, when occupation forces detained at least 25 Palestinians across the West Bank, including at least 16 women, in what the Prisoners’ Media Office said is a dangerous escalation in collective punishment targeting detainees’ families.