Israel raids West Bank homes ahead of prisoner releases
The Israeli army raided the West Bank homes of Palestinian prisoners whose names are on a list of prisoners which will be released under the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, the Middle East Eye reported on October 12th.
The raids took place in the Occupied West Bank on the morning of October 12th, with the targeted areas including Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm and Qalqilya.
As part of the US-led ceasefire agreement, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences or lengthy sentences, along with 1,700 people who were detained by Israeli authorities. In exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees, Hamas is expected to release the remaining Israeli captives, whether dead or alive.
Israeli forces raided the home of prisoner Taleb Makhamreh’s family on the evening of October 11th. Makhamreh’s daughter, Razan, said: “The soldiers raided the house, threatened us and told us that we were forbidden from showing any signs of joy or welcoming those congratulating him on his release.”
Razan also said that the homes of three other prisoners set to be freed were raided, while the Israeli military “fired random bullets in the neighbourhood, wounding a young man in the hand, and assaulted other young men.”
Hebron and the surrounding areas were previously the location of targeted arrests, as reported on November 30th, 2023, where Israeli forces detained 40 Palestinians, including two girls and former prisoners. In 2023, prior to the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, at least 135 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were killed by Israeli violence.
The recent raids are seemingly part of a pattern of Israeli violence and intimidation against Palestinian residents of the Occupied West Bank, where it is estimated that over 500,000 settlers are situated.
Plans were announced on August 14th to expand Israeli settlements in a project called “E1”, which would see 3,400 new homes for Israeli settlers being built in the Occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off the settlement plan, which would annex 82% of the West Bank. This news came amid reports that since October 2023, more than 19,000 Palestinians in the West Bank had been detained by Israeli authorities.
Settlement expansion beyond the 1967 borders is recognised as illegal under international law, yet Israel has repeatedly ignored this as it continues to displace Palestinians to make way for new settlements.
Israeli settlers frequently attack Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, often under the protection of the Israeli authorities, who do very little to prevent settlers from destroying property and assaulting Palestinians.
Middle East Eye, Maghrebi.org
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