Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out a major crackdown in the town of Beit Ummar, north of al-Khalil, detaining and interrogating more than 200 Palestinians in raids that continued through Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, Palestinian prisoner rights organizations reported.

The rights groups described the raids as one of the most intense operations in recent months, highlighting a sharp escalation in Israel’s campaign of arrests and field interrogations across the West Bank.

Witnesses said that the IOF conducted sweeping field interrogations, targeting residents including families of Palestinians recently killed by Israeli forces. The operations were reportedly accompanied by severe beatings, destruction of property, and vandalism inside homes, which rights organizations warn is part of Israel’s ongoing policy of collective punishment against the Palestinian population.

Residents also reported that soldiers confiscated cash, gold, personal belongings, vehicles, and electronic devices. Several homes were reportedly turned into military posts, and civilians were used as human shields. Leaflets containing threats were distributed throughout the town, further intimidating the local population.

Rights organizations emphasized that the brutality displayed during these raids has reached unprecedented levels, targeting Palestinians across all segments of society, including children, women, and the elderly.

The mass detentions in Beit Ummar are part of a wider pattern of Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank, illustrating the systematic suppression of Palestinian communities and the continuation of policies that violate international law. (ILKHA)