Israel Intensifies West Bank Raids: Dozens Detained and House Demolished in Hebron

The Israeli military carried out a series of coordinated raids across the occupied West Bank, detaining more than 80 Palestinians, wounding at least one man and demolishing at least one home as operations in the territory intensified amid the wider conflict in Gaza.

Raids, Shooting and Demolition in Hebron Area

In Dura, south of Hebron, witnesses said forces surrounded a residence before opening fire and wounding the brother of Mahmoud al-Fasfous. The al-Fasfous brothers have been sought by Israeli authorities and their family home has reportedly been targeted repeatedly in past operations.

In Hebron’s Khallat Nafisa neighbourhood, Israeli forces used a bulldozer to demolish the home of Imran al-Atrash, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. Israeli authorities say al-Atrash and another Palestinian, Walid Muhammad Khalil Sabarna, were killed in mid-November after being accused of a car-ramming and stabbing attack that killed one Israeli settler and injured three others. The Israeli military published images of the demolition on Telegram, labelling al-Atrash a "terrorist."

Wider Sweep Across the West Bank

Security operations also included pre-dawn arrests and interrogations across Hebron and other areas of the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that at least 80 people were detained, including at least one woman, two children and several former prisoners. The group described the raids as "an unprecedented escalation" and said field interrogations have "become the occupation’s most prominent policy."

Two arrests were reported in the Arroub refugee camp north of Hebron, and detentions were under way in many surrounding towns. In the al-Majaz hamlet of Masafer Yatta, homes were ransacked and one dwelling was reportedly converted into a temporary military outpost, forcing residents to spend the night outdoors in cold conditions.

In the Ramallah and El-Bireh governorate, soldiers entered the town of Kobar and moved through several neighbourhoods. Residents speaking to Al Jazeera said soldiers shouted provocative phrases at locals.

Settler Violence and Humanitarian Impact

Human-rights groups and local residents say Israeli settlers have increased violent attacks on Palestinian civilians, including killings, beatings and property destruction, often with apparent impunity and sometimes in the presence of Israeli forces.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), during 2025 Israeli forces and settlers together killed 240 Palestinians in the West Bank; OCHA reported Israeli forces were responsible for 225 of those deaths and settlers for at least nine, with six fatalities under investigation. Fifty-five of the victims were children. During the same period, OCHA reported that 17 Israelis were killed in the West Bank, including one child and six members of Israeli security forces.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem — home to roughly 700,000 Israelis — are considered illegal under international law, the UN has said, and UN officials have repeatedly urged Israel to dismantle settlement expansion, warning that the overall system risks resembling apartheid.

Sources: Wafa, Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Al Jazeera, Israeli military Telegram posts, UN OCHA.