Raid and arrest campaign in Beit Ummar in retaliation of the "Etzion operation"

On November 18 to 19, Israeli forces imposed a siege on the town of Beit Ummar, north of al-Khalil.The operation is supported by significant military reinforcements that were deployed toward the town in the early hours of the morning after sealing all of the town’s entrances with dirt mounds and iron gates, restricting movement in and out of the area.

The operation came hours after an Israeli settler was killed and three others were wounded, one critically, in a ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank. The attack was carried out by two Palestinians, one of them from Beit Ummar,Walid Mohammed Sabarneh , who were shot dead by Israeli forces.

The Israeli forces detained more than 100 Palestinians, converting the town's main soccer field into a makeshift interrogation center and have begun gathering detainees there.

They raided dozens of homes, including the Sabarneh family’s house, damaging its contents, then sealed it after forcing the family to evacuate. The home was welded shut with iron sheets, family members were assaulted and the property was damaged following on-site questioning.

According to Wafa, these raids were accompanied by acts of abuse against residents and the deliberate destruction of their property and belongings, after the occupation forces imposed a tight siege on the town, declaring it a closed military zone and sealing off all entrances and exits, thus preventing the movement of residents. The arrest and detention operation affected more than 40 citizens, including two women, who were held in the town's stadium.