Israeli Army Escalates Raids amid Total Siege on Occupied West Bank

June 19, 2025 News
An Israeli military raid in the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus. (Photo: via WAFA)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israel has imposed a tight siege on the West Bank since it launched a military attack on Iran last Friday.

Israeli occupation forces continued their assault on the Balata refugee camp and the town of Jaba’ in the northern occupied West Bank for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

This comes as the Israeli army imposes a tight siege on the West Bank for the sixth day since the launch of its military attack on Iran last Friday.

Occupation forces were deployed throughout the camp and town, with dozens of homes raided and several Palestinians detained, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

The army also forcibly evacuated around 14 families from their homes in the camp.

Sixteen Injured

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that medical teams on Wednesday treated 16 people injured as a result of the ongoing raid on the Balata refugee camp.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said that the occupation forces detained its crews in the Hashashin neighborhood and seized the keys to their ambulance.

The Israeli army also carried out a series of raids elsewhere on Thursday, including Ramallah and the town of al-Asakra in the south of Bethlehem. It also launched a large-scale arrest campaign.

This comes as the Israeli army continues its widespread aggression in the northern West Bank, targeting the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps since January 21.

Homes Demolished

According to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, Israeli bulldozers continued their demolition of residential buildings in Tulkarm refugee camp for the 14th day in a row.

The latest demolitions have targeted several neighborhoods, including Al-Balawneh, Al-Okasha, Al-Nadi, and Al-Sawalmeh, along with surrounding areas.

In the nearby Nur Shams refugee camp, Israeli forces deployed a heavy-duty D10 bulldozer today, escalating a weeks-long demolition campaign. More than 50 buildings have already been razed under the pretext of opening roads and altering the geographic landscape of the camps.

These latest demolitions are part of a broader plan by Israeli authorities to demolish a total of 106 buildings across both camps — 58 of them in Tulkarm Camp alone, which include over 250 homes and dozens of commercial establishments, and 48 buildings in Nur Shams, WAFA reported.

Residential Building Seized

In the village of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, Israeli occupation forces seized a residential building south of Nablus, reported Al Jazeera Arabic.

Israeli soldiers deployed throughout the village’s streets and set up a checkpoint at its main entrance.

In the town of Jaba’, south of Jenin, the Israeli army continued its military operation for the third day. Witnesses reported that the army sealed off the town, searched homes, and transferred residents for field interrogation. The army also imposed a curfew on the town.

Young Man Killed

Early on Wednesday, a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces in the village of al-Walaja, west of Bethlehem, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

According to WAFA, occupation forces assaulted Ali Hamza Hajajleh, 22, and fired live bullets at him from a close range after raiding his family’s home. His body was abducted by the occupation forces.

The occupation forces also assaulted Baha’ Khaled al-Atrash during a raid on his home in the village, and detained Ahmed Na’im Muhammad Abu Khader, 20, from Aida refugee camp, north of the city.

Since Israel’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the Israeli army and illegal settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of at least 979 Palestinians, the injury of approximately 7,000 others, and the arrest of more than 17,500 prisoners, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

(AJA, PC)

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