Taybeh: The Israeli army on Monday declared the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank a closed military zone to prevent rising attacks by occupiers in the area. According to Anadolu Agency, the order restricts entry to anyone not residing in Taybeh or the surrounding area, while residents of the area are exempt from the restrictions, as stated by Central Command chief Avi Bluth through public broadcaster KAN.
The closure specifically targets Israelis and foreigners, effectively barring them from entering Taybeh. Currently, around 750,000 occupiers reside in 156 illegal settlements and 360 settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These occupiers reportedly carry out almost daily attacks under the protection of the Israeli army, actions which Palestinians argue are intended to forcibly displace them.
In the first six months of this year alone, Israeli occupiers executed 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their property, as highlighted by a recent report from the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. Last Friday, Taybeh, a historically significant Palestinian village with a Christian majority, was attacked by Israeli occupiers, according to church and local accounts.
Separately, the Israeli army detained 25 Palestinians, including former prisoners and a journalist, during operations across the occupied West Bank on Monday. The Prisoners' Media Office reported that arrests included 10 individuals from the village of Marah Rabah, five from Balata refugee camp, and others from Nablus city, Jenin province, Hebron, Ramallah and Al-Bireh province, and Qalqilya province.
Israeli forces continue their near-daily operations involving raids, arrests, and searches across West Bank cities, towns, and refugee camps. As of August 4, more than 9,400 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli prisons, which includes 92 women and over 370 children, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society.
Since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, escalated attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers have resulted in over 1,182 Palestinian deaths, around 13,000 injuries, and nearly 25,000 arrests, alongside significant material damage, as reported by official Palestinian figures. Palestinians caution that these intensified actions by Israel may be a precursor to the formal annexation of the West Bank, challenging the feasibility of establishing a Palestinian state as per UN resolutions.