JERUSALEM, January 28, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday evening withdrew from the Hizma town, northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, following a two-day complete siege.
The occupation forces commenced their incursion into the town at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, closing all roads and entrances to the town with metal gates, establishing checkpoints, and bringing Palestinians’ movement to a complete halt.
They broke into and ransacked dozens of homes and shops, converting some into military outposts, while turning at least one into a field interrogation center. The soldiers detained 13 Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her husband, and interrogated over 100 others, some of whom were assaulted, as confirmed by Hizma Mayor Nawfan Salah al-Din, who added that the soldiers seized over 35 vehicles and motorcycles.
During the previous night, the gun-toting soldiers intensified home raids, ransacking homes, searching occupants’ mobile phones and causing widespread deliberate damage. Residents filed complaints over stolen cash and gold jewelry during the raids, a pattern Salah al-Din said has repeatedly accompanied Israeli military incursions into Palestinian towns.
The soldiers fired barrages of concussion and tear gas bombs at residents near several entrances and towards their homes, with such attacks reportedly occurring every time forces entered or withdrew from the town. Local schools were compelled to close throughout the incursion.
They tore down a shop without prior notice.
Residents, including patients requiring medical care, were barred from leaving Hizma for a second day. As a result, a small number of men were forced to bring water and food to their families from shops located outside the besieged area.
Hizma lies adjacent to a colonist-only road and is encircled by four Israeli colonies, in addition to the separation wall. Local officials said the security pretext cited by Israeli forces effectively serves to facilitate colonists’ movement, while Palestinians face severe restrictions on mobility.
Mayor Salah Ad-Din warned that the siege could be a prelude to new settlement schemes aimed at further isolating Hizma from Jerusalem and its surrounding Palestinian areas.
K.F.
