Jerusalem: Twenty Israeli occupier families have seized land in the Jordan Valley in the eastern occupied West Bank, as Israel continues its expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territories. Israeli forces also reportedly shot a Palestinian near Hebron and arrested a Fatah official after firing at his vehicle in Tulkarem.

According to Anadolu Agency, the occupiers moved into the newly established agricultural settlement of Bitron on Monday, which was inaugurated ahead of the Jewish New Year, as reported by Israel's Channel 12. Bitron, one of 13 settlements approved by Israel's Security Cabinet to be recognized as independent settlements, marks the first agricultural settlement established by Israel in nearly two decades.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced in March 2025 that the Security Cabinet approved a proposal to separate 13 settlements in the West Bank, including Bitron, from neighboring settlements. This move is seen as a step toward normalizing these settlements, increasing the number of recognized settlements by Israel from 127 to 140, according to the settlement watchdog Peace Now.

In a related incident, a Palestinian was injured by Israeli army fire at the Tarqumiyah checkpoint west of Hebron, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The Red Crescent treated the injured Palestinian, who was shot in the back and subsequently transferred to a hospital.

Additionally, Israeli forces arrested Mohammed Ibrahim Shehadeh, the secretary of the Fatah movement in Tulkarem refugee camp, after firing at his vehicle in Tulkarem. Local sources informed Anadolu that an Israeli special force intercepted Shehadeh's vehicle and opened fire before arresting him, as part of a broader campaign of raids and arrests across the occupied West Bank.

The Al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported that an Israeli occupier released livestock near Palestinian homes in Khallat al-Hummus, threatening crops and property. Meanwhile, in Ni'lin, west of Ramallah, occupier bulldozers began opening roads under army protection, amidst ongoing settlement expansion.

The occupied West Bank continues to witness escalating tensions, with Israeli measures targeting Palestinians, their property, and land amidst international concerns over the legality of these settlements under international law.