Groom Detained in Wedding Hall Raid as West Bank Violence Spikes
Israeli forces and settlers conducted multiple operations across the occupied territory on Friday, resulting in detentions, injuries, and property damage.
By Martin Reynolds ·
Violence escalated across the West Bank on Friday as Israeli forces and settlers conducted a series of coordinated operations that left several Palestinians injured and dozens detained. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that these incidents occurred simultaneously in multiple governorates, marking another day of intense friction between military units, civilian settlers, and local residents.
In the village of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah, soldiers entered a wedding hall during a ceremony. They fired tear gas into a crowd of approximately 150 guests and took four people into custody, including the groom, according to residents cited by Wafa. In the same village, troops later stormed the home of Hamed Abu Naim, seizing his car keys and forcing his family to leave the property. Nearby in Jaba, south of Jenin, soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas, shooting a young man in the thigh, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed.
Settler activity continued in the southern Hebron hills. Yousef Shannaran’s home has been under siege for 40 consecutive days. Media activist Osama Makhamra told Wafa that settlers re-erected a tent near the house after Israeli forces had previously removed it. This setup restricts the family’s movement, requiring them to coordinate with nearby troops for entry and exit. Settlers also threw stones at the residence, broke windows and doors, and poisoned the family’s water well. Soldiers were seen outside the home, dancing and singing with the settlers while refusing to remove the tent.
In Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, several residents sought medical treatment for tear gas inhalation. Witnesses stated that soldiers entered the town to protect settlers who had chased children near the entrance and attempted to assault them. Military personnel also stopped a vehicle at the town entry point and beat the driver. Further west, near Khirbet Srouj, settlers attacked Palestinian families harvesting olives, stealing the fruit and equipment from the fields.
In occupied East Jerusalem, two brothers in the Sur Baher neighborhood were ordered to demolish their own homes. The municipality cited a lack of permits for the construction. Additionally, Quds News Network reported that a child and a woman were detained in the southern Hebron area during the same timeframe.
The next phase of the siege in Wadi al-Rakheem remains active, with the family of Yousef Shannaran continuing to navigate daily restrictions imposed by the presence of settlers and troops.
