Israeli forces raid Nablus, impose curfew and arrest nine Palestinians

Israeli forces raided the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank before dawn on Wednesday, imposing a curfew, searching homes and arresting at least nine residents, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Local sources told Wafa that troops entered the city from several directions with military jeeps, other vehicles and a bulldozer, and declared a curfew shortly after their arrival.

Soldiers raided and searched homes in several neighbourhoods, including al-Dawar, the Northern Mountain, Rafidia and Khallet al-Amoud, ransacking the properties, the sources said. Among those arrested were journalist Omair Istitieh, brothers Hamza and Omar al-Kakhan, and brothers Osama and Islam Salameh, Wafa reported. The total number of detainees was at least nine.

Wafa added that the military bulldozer demolished memorials in the al-Dawar and Ras al-Ein areas. The memorials commemorated Palestinians killed by what the agency described as the Zionist regime. No further details were immediately available on the condition of those arrested or the extent of the damage to the properties.

The raid is part of ongoing Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, which have intensified in recent months. Nablus, a major Palestinian city, has been the site of repeated incursions by Israeli forces. Such operations often involve curfews, house searches and arrests, and have drawn criticism from Palestinian officials and international human rights groups.

According to Mehr News, citing Wafa, the operation began before dawn and involved multiple military vehicles and a bulldozer. The report did not specify whether any injuries occurred during the raid or whether the curfew remained in place after the arrests.