JERUSALEM, February 26, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces on Thursday detained 20 Palestinians, including a journalist, from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to local and security sources.
The occupation forces rounded up Ahmad Jalajel, a journalist, from the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city of Jerusalem, as confirmed by the Jerusalem Governorate.
In the northern Jordan Valley, the occupation forces rounded up a Palestinian from Khirbet Samra community.
In the Hebron governorate, the gun-toting soldiers stormed Khribet at-Tibyan in Masafer Yatta and rounded up a young man. This came shortly after armed colonists released their sheep in the community and attacked the inhabitants, injuring a woman.
In the Jenin governorate, the Palestine Prisoners Society (PPS) reported that Israeli troops showed up at a house in Jaba‘ town, broke inside, and re-arrested a former prisoner.
Meanwhile, the occupation troops conducted a similar raid in the city of Tulkarm, resulting in the detention of a young man.
They also conducted separate two raids in Kafr al-Labad town and Iktaba neighborhood, east of the city, resulting in the detention of two Palestinians, including a woman.
In Qalqilya city, Israeli troops raided the Kafr Saba and Shreim neighborhoods, among others, breaking into several houses, interrogating residents, and causing extensive damage to personal belongings.
They withdrew after detaining six Palestinians, including five former prisoners.
In the Nablus governorate, the occupying forces stormed the village of Salem and rounded up two Palestinians.
They also raided Talfit village and the Balata refugee camp, leading to the detention of two others.
In the Bethlehem governorate, the heavily armed soldiers barged their way into Artas village and detained a villager after ransacking his family's house.
In the Ramallah governorate, Israeli troops stormed the village of al-Mughayyir, resulting in the detention of Amin Abu Alia, who serves as the village mayor.
They detained another Palestinian and searched his family’s house in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood of al-Bireh.
The occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids are conducted without a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses, in keeping with its sweeping, arbitrary powers.
Under Israeli military law, army commanders have full executive, legislative, and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.
According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 9,300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 350 child prisoners and 56 female prisoners.
This number includes approximately 3,358 Palestinians placed under “administrative detention”, which allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable intervals ranging between three and six months based on undisclosed evidence that even a detainee’s lawyer is barred from viewing.
K.F.
