Israeli army raids refugee camp, seizes Palestinian homes in West Bank

The Israeli army raided the Qalandia refugee camp north of the occupied East Jerusalem Monday, and seized Palestinian homes after evacuating residents, converting some into detention and interrogation centers.

Large Israeli forces entered the camp and the outskirts of the nearby towns of Kafr Aqab and al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, and began raiding Palestinian homes before evacuating several and using them for military purposes, including detaining Palestinians and interrogating them, witnesses told Anadolu.

Israeli forces carried out a wide arrest campaign targeting released prisoners and relatives of Palestinian detainees, adding that residents were told the military operation would last about 24 hours, the witnesses added.

In a related development, the army deployed drones over the camp during the raid operations, while circulating videos showed home raids and doors being forced open, amid heightened tensions among residents.

The Israeli army also carried out similar arrest operations in the towns of al-Ram and Kafr Aqab, according to witnesses.

The Qalandia refugee camp lies along a main road connecting Jerusalem and Ramallah and is located in an area that frequently sees tensions between Palestinians and the Israeli army.

The West Bank has witnessed a surge in military operations and occupier attacks since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,154 Palestinians, the injury of about 11,750 others, and the arrest of nearly 22,000, according to official Palestinian data.