Settlers Establish Outposts in Occupied West Bank Areas amid Israeli Raids
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli forces have intensified operations across the occupied West Bank, injuring three Palestinians and arresting dozens, while settler activity in Palestinian-controlled areas sparks new concerns.
Israeli forces have wounded three Palestinians and arrested dozens during extensive raids across the occupied West Bank, including in refugee camps and towns near Hebron (Al-Khalil) and Bethlehem, as settlers establish illegal outposts in areas previously designated under Palestinian control.
Three Palestinians have been injured by Israeli gunfire during an ongoing raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp, according to Al Jazeera Arabic (AJA). The raid is part of a broader Israeli operation across the West Bank, targeting multiple areas.
AJA also reported a large-scale arrest campaign in the Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron. Israeli forces were seen conducting field interrogations in the camp's main square. Photos released by the Shehab news agency show detainees being abused during the operation.
Meanwhile, the Wafa news agency reported that at least 25 Palestinians were arrested in the town of Tuqu, east of Bethlehem. Israeli forces also launched raids in Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem, where flares were fired. Additional raids were reported in Nablus, Tamma, Kfar Kila, and el-Bireh.
In a related development, Peace Now, an Israeli rights group, revealed that settlers have established seven illegal outposts in Area B of the West Bank this year. This marks the first such activity in Palestinian-controlled areas since the Oslo Accords of 1993.
Area B, under full Palestinian civil control, had previously been off-limits to settlement activity. However, five outposts were built near Bethlehem and two near Ramallah in 2024, according to Peace Now. Enforcement against outposts in Area C, under Israeli control, has also largely ceased, the group reported.
“After seizing control of Area C through house demolitions and settler violence, settlers are now targeting Area B,” Peace Now stated. The group accused the Israeli government of violating a key element of the Oslo Accords and warned of a potential return to full military rule across the West Bank.
These settlements, deemed illegal under international law, reflect broader annexation plans, Peace Now argued, calling for urgent action to prevent further encroachment into Palestinian-controlled areas.
