Israeli forces raid Askar refugee camp near Nablus, detain residents

2026-03-02 - 08:23

Israeli military forces launched a large-scale operation in the Old Askar refugee camp east of Nablus at dawn Monday, deploying infantry units and imposing severe movement restrictions on residents, according to local witnesses. The raid marks the latest in a sustained pattern of Israeli military activity across the occupied West Bank that has intensified since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Military operation targets camp Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli troops spread through multiple neighborhoods, forcibly entering and searching Palestinian homes while detaining several residents. In a significant escalation, soldiers evacuated a number of houses and converted them into military barracks, informing residents that the operation would continue for three days. The army barred all entry to and exit from the camp, effectively placing its population under lockdown. West Bank tensions escalate The Israeli military describes such raids as routine operations aimed at apprehending wanted individuals, but Palestinian sources report a dramatic increase in the scale and frequency of incursions since the Gaza conflict erupted. According to Palestinian tallies, more than 1,118 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023, with approximately 11,700 wounded and roughly 22,000 detained. The operations have also involved displacement of communities and continued settlement expansion, further inflaming tensions across the territory. Regional context Monday's raid comes as the broader region grapples with the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which has killed Tehran's top leadership and drawn retaliatory strikes against Gulf countries. While the West Bank operation appears separate from the Iran conflict, the simultaneous escalation on multiple fronts underscores the volatility gripping the Middle East. Israeli military activity in the occupied territories continues unabated even as the country's forces participate in wider regional operations against Iran.