IOF detain al-Khalil youths, settlers ramp up attacks across West Bank

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 12:31
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Israeli troops detain eight Palestinians in al-Khalil as settlers uproot olive trees and military closures tighten in the Jordan Valley.

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Israeli army investigators inspect burnt Palestinian vehicles at the site of an Israeli settlers' rampage, in the West Bank town of Rammun, east of Ramallah, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Israeli occupation forces on Saturday detained eight Palestinian youths from al-Khalil Governorate, as part of a widening campaign that has intensified across the occupied West Bank.

According to local sources, five youths were detained near a water spring in the town of Nahalin, west of Beit Lahm.

In a separate incident, occupation forces detained two brothers while they were herding livestock near their home in the village of al-Mufaqara, located in the South al-Khalil Hills.

Additionally, the occupation forces raided the home of a resident in the town of al-Shuyoukh, northeast of al-Khalil, and detained him after thoroughly searching the property.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces intensified military procedures at the Hamra checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley, particularly targeting Palestinians heading into the area. The increased restrictions caused a severe traffic congestion, further obstructing the movement of residents during the holiday period.

The checkpoint, situated at a vital road junction, has been a focal point of ongoing Israeli restrictions for over two years, limiting Palestinians' access to essential agricultural and work areas.

Settlers uproot olive saplings in Marj Si‘a plain

In another act of aggression, Israeli settlers stormed the Marj Si‘a plain on Friday night, located between the villages of al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah northeast of Ramallah. Around 100 olive saplings were uprooted in the attack.

This comes as part of a broader campaign of settler violence. Over the past month, settlers have committed more than 350 acts of vandalism and theft targeting Palestinian properties, leading to the destruction of 1,068 trees, including 695 olive trees, across al-Khalil, Ramallah, Salfit, Tulkarm, and Nablus.

In southern al-Khalil, settlers chased Palestinian shepherds in the Tel Ma'in area of al-Karmel, forcing them off their grazing land.

ميلشيات المستوطنين تعتدي على رعاة الأغنام في تل ماعين في مسافر يطا جنوب الخليل pic.twitter.com/L2Vs28gUnK
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) June 7, 2025

Activist Osama Makhamrah told WAFA that heavily armed settlers stormed the area, continuing a systematic effort to displace landowners and residents east of Yatta.