Ramallah: In a series of coordinated pre-dawn raids on Tuesday, Israeli forces launched large-scale invasions across multiple areas of the occupied West Bank, abducting dozens of Palestinians, including several siblings and former political prisoners.
The raids, which began before sunrise on May 13, 2025, affected key Palestinian cities and towns including Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilia, and their surrounding villages. According to local media and eyewitness reports, heavily armed Israeli soldiers stormed residential areas, ransacked homes, and carried out mass arrests while vandalizing property and subjecting residents to field interrogations.
In central West Bank’s Ramallah and its twin city Al-Bireh, Israeli troops abducted three young men—Noor Mohammad Rihan and Ahmad Shahait from Al-Amari refugee camp, and Mohammad Issam Al-Qaisi from Beitunia. Homes in Umm Al-Sharayet, Sateh Marhaba, and Al-Balou’ neighborhoods were also invaded, along with nearby Deir Qaddis and Ni’lin towns. In a symbolic act that added further tensions, Israeli bulldozers demolished a memorial in Al-Bireh that honored slain Palestinian fighters Emad and Adel Awadallah.
In the southern city of Hebron and its surrounding areas, including Ethna, Doura, and Beit Ummar, Israeli forces carried out aggressive raids, abducting multiple individuals. Those taken included Mo’taz Atef Awwad, Mohammad Amjad Tmeizi, Adam Khaled Awwad, Yousef Awwad, Adam Nihad Al-Batran, Mahmoud Ziad Al-Hittawi, and Kayed Fasfous, a former political prisoner.
Local sources confirmed that the army stormed a home near Al-‘Alam Junction in Doura and detained numerous residents for ID inspections and interrogations. In Beit Ummar, Mahmoud Bader Ekhlayyil was taken along with two siblings, Hmeidan and Mohammad Na’im Abu Mariya, after forces raided their home and seized their vehicle.
The invasions disrupted public life, particularly in southern Hebron where schools were temporarily closed. Yasser Saleh, Director of the Education Department in Southern Hebron, stated that the school day was postponed to ensure student safety amid the military’s presence. He also highlighted a disturbing trend—since October 7, 2023, Israeli soldiers have killed 14 Palestinians from Doura alone, most of whom were school-aged children.
In the northern West Bank, Nablus also witnessed extensive military activity. Israeli forces invaded Beita town at dawn, raiding homes and transforming a local storage facility into an impromptu interrogation center. Residents reported that dozens were subjected to field questioning.
Abdullah Abdel Ghaffar Ghazi Odeili was among those abducted. In the Askar Al-Jadid refugee camp within Nablus city, the army surrounded a home, deployed drones, and arrested Sohaib Abu Kishik, Abed Shinnawi, and Mohannad Qamhiyya. East of Qalqilia, in Azzoun town, soldiers conducted violent home searches, further escalating fear and unrest.
The widespread arrests appear to be part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the occupied West Bank, which has intensified significantly since the war on Gaza began in October 2023. The stated objective often includes targeting individuals allegedly connected to resistance activities.
However, human rights groups and local communities argue that such raids primarily serve to destabilize Palestinian society, provoke fear, and suppress political dissent. The repeated targeting of schools, memorials, and former prisoners has led to increased scrutiny from international observers concerned about escalating human rights violations in the region.
