(MENAFN) Israeli troops detained roughly 100 Palestinians in Beit Ummar, a town north of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, after sealing off all entrances early Wednesday.

The raid followed a deadly attack at the Gush Etzion junction, where an Israeli settler was killed and three others wounded, one critically, in a ramming and stabbing assault carried out by two Palestinians, including one from Beit Ummar. Both attackers were shot dead by Israeli forces.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority—the official liaison with Israel—had informed it that Imran al-Atrash from Hebron and Walid Mohammed Sabarneh from Beit Ummar were killed by Israeli fire near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.

Early Wednesday, Israeli troops stormed Beit Ummar, raiding dozens of homes, including the residence of the Sabarneh family, causing extensive damage, witnesses told media.

“They said the army launched a broad arrest campaign in the town, detaining about 100 people,” witnesses added.

According to residents, the army converted the municipal stadium into a temporary detention and interrogation center. Videos circulating online showed Israeli soldiers escorting bound Palestinians within the town.

Locals also reported that Israeli forces blocked all entrances to Beit Ummar with dirt mounds and iron gates, severely restricting movement in and out of the area.

Israeli military operations in the West Bank have intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Over 1,076 Palestinians have been killed, 10,700 injured in attacks by the army and illegal settlers, and more than 20,500 arrested.

In a landmark ruling last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal, urging the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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