Israeli forces arrest 24 Palestinians, bulldoze farmland in occupied West Bank
19/10/2026 | 17:09:00
Ramallah, Oct. 19 (Petra) - Israeli occupation forces launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank on Monday, arresting Palestinians and demolishing agricultural and commercial infrastructure.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society reported that Israeli military operations swept through towns, villages, and refugee camps in Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, Hebron, and Salfit. At least 24 Palestinians, mostly former prisoners, were detained during the raids.
In Shuyukh al-Arrub, north of Hebron, Israeli soldiers dismantled agricultural structures, pulled down retaining walls, and destroyed a water well. Village council head Issa Ayad said that troops uprooted 300 fruit trees and bulldozed 10 dunams of farmland.
Further north in Jenin, authorities issued over 20 demolition orders targeting greenhouses, farm structures, a park, and an auto dealership. Tareq Aghbaria, a local anti-settlement official, said soldiers expelled Palestinian farmers from their land in the village of Araqah, preventing them from harvesting olives. Aghbaria warned that these restrictions undermine local livelihoods and farmers' ability to work their land.
Concurrently, Israeli illegal settlers assaulted Palestinians in the villages of Turmus Ayya and Deir Abu Mash'al, northwest of Ramallah. In Turmus Ayya, settlers attempted to set fire to several Palestinian homes.
//Petra// HA