By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli forces arrested four Birzeit University students as prisoner advocates warned of ongoing targeting of Palestinian student activism.

Key Takeaways

• Israeli forces arrested four female Birzeit University students during overnight raids across the Ramallah area.
• The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said the arrests reflect a longstanding policy targeting Palestinian university students, particularly women.
• Rights groups report continued arrests, summonses and administrative detention orders against students across the occupied West Bank.

University Students Arrested

Israeli forces arrested four female students from Birzeit University during overnight raids across the Ramallah area on Tuesday, according to local sources and Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups.

The detainees were identified as Natalie Abu Diah, who was arrested after Israeli forces raided and searched her family home in Birzeit, and Joulan Abu Awad, who was detained after occupation soldiers stormed student housing in the town.

Israeli forces also arrested Leila Khalil following a raid on her family home in Beitunia, west of Ramallah, while Sama Safi was detained after troops entered her family’s residence in Ramallah.

Prisoner Group Warns

Commenting on the arrests, Amani Sarahneh, Director of Media and Documentation at the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, said the detentions are part of an ongoing Israeli policy targeting Palestinian university students.

Speaking to Quds News Network, Sarahneh said hundreds of students have been arrested over recent months, including many who were actively enrolled in universities at the time of their detention.

She noted that Birzeit University has been among the institutions most heavily affected by Israeli arrest campaigns, with a number of female students remaining in detention under accusations of “incitement” or administrative detention orders that allow imprisonment without charge or trial.

💢 Israeli Forces Arrest Female Students in Pre-Dawn Raid on Birzeit University

Israeli forces arrested four female students from Birzeit University in a pre-dawn raid on the town of Birzeit, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, regional media reported.

The students… https://t.co/mOj39GKwIL pic.twitter.com/AprgJwDFfy

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) June 2, 2026

Repeated Arrests

Sarahneh said many students who were arrested during the early months of the war and later released have subsequently faced re-arrest or repeated summonses by Israeli intelligence services.

According to Surahneh, the pattern reflects a broader policy of surveillance, pressure and attrition directed at Palestinian students and youth activists.

She added that arrest rates across the occupied West Bank remain high, with at least 15 arrests recorded daily and totals reaching around 30 detentions on some days.

Wider Violations

Sarahneh stressed that arrests are frequently accompanied by other violations against detainees and their families.

She said Israeli forces routinely carry out property destruction during raids, while detainees and relatives are often subjected to threats, physical assault and the confiscation of personal belongings.

She further said that family members, particularly women, are sometimes used as leverage to pressure wanted individuals or their relatives.

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Birzeit a Frequent Target

The latest arrests come amid what Palestinian organizations describe as a sustained campaign targeting Palestinian educational institutions and student activism.

Birzeit University has repeatedly been subjected to Israeli military operations, including a raid on the university campus in January during which students were reportedly assaulted.

According to prisoner advocacy groups, the detention of students remains a central feature of Israel’s broader arrest campaign across the occupied Palestinian territories.

(QNN, WAFA, PC)