Israeli occupation forces detained at least five Palestinians on Sunday during a series of raids across the Hebron governorate in the southern occupied West Bank.

According to local residents and Palestinian security sources, the detainees included one resident from the city of Hebron, one from the town of Dura, one from Bani Naim, one from Halhul, and another from the Al-Arroub refugee camp. The arrests were carried out during pre-dawn and daytime incursions into Palestinian neighborhoods and towns.

Witnesses said Israeli soldiers stormed the detainees’ homes, forcibly searching the premises, ransacking personal belongings, and subjecting residents to physical assault. Several family members were reportedly beaten during the raids, causing injuries and widespread fear, particularly among children and the elderly.

In a related development, Israeli forces also raided and searched multiple homes belonging to the Al-Masri family in the town of Surif, northwest of Hebron. Residents said the soldiers vandalized property and interrogated family members, though no arrests were immediately reported there.

Palestinian rights groups say such raids and arbitrary detentions are part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at intimidating the Palestinian population and tightening control over the occupied West Bank. Hebron, in particular, has witnessed an escalation in military incursions, settler violence, and arrests in recent months.

Under international law, the West Bank, including Hebron, is recognized as occupied territory. Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned Israel’s nightly raids, home demolitions, and mass detentions, describing them as collective punishment and serious violations of Palestinian civilians’ rights.

The latest detentions add to the growing number of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities, many without charge or trial, as tensions continue to rise across the occupied Palestinian territories. (ILKHA)