{"id":14238,"date":"2025-03-13T14:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/?p=14238"},"modified":"2025-03-13T14:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:21:13","slug":"israeli-forces-conduct-largest-raid-in-azzun-in-23-years-leaving-town-under-siege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/2025\/03\/13\/israeli-forces-conduct-largest-raid-in-azzun-in-23-years-leaving-town-under-siege\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Forces Conduct Largest Raid in Azzun in 23 Years, Leaving Town Under Siege"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watan<\/strong><\/em>-For seven hours, the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, endured a brutal Israeli military raid, the largest in 23 years. Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Israeli forces stormed the town, carrying out mass arrests, field interrogations, home invasions, and severe beatings while completely sealing off all entrances. Residents described the incursion as an act of revenge and collective punishment.<\/p>\n

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Widespread Arrests and Abuse<\/h3>\n

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, Israeli forces raided the home of Bilal Islim, 38, the imam of Azzun\u2019s central mosque. Soldiers ransacked his house, destroyed its contents, and arrested both him and his 18-year-old son, Youssef, a top high school student.<\/p>\n

“They stormed our home and broke everything. They then stripped my son Youssef completely, leaving him in only his underwear in the freezing cold until nearly 8 AM.” \u2013 Bilal Islim<\/p>\n

Islim was not the only one subjected to humiliation. Another young man, Mohammed Taher, was also forced to strip in the cold as soldiers ignored the harsh winter temperatures.<\/p>\n

Beyond the arrests, Israeli forces brutally assaulted Islim upon detaining him:<\/p>\n

“They tied my hands, blindfolded me, forced me to lie face down on the floor, and then multiple soldiers jumped on my back with their heavy boots, trying to break it. I barely survived without fractures, but I suffered severe bruises.” \u2013 Bilal Islim<\/p>\n

Islim was then taken to a field interrogation center north of Azzun, where the abuse continued. He described the mass arrests and interrogations as an act of revenge by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n

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Israeli forces launched a massive raid on Azzun, detaining 200+ Palestinians<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elderly Targeted in Mass Detentions<\/h3>\n

Even elderly residents were not spared. Riyad Islim, 66, a municipal council member, was among those arrested. He recounted how Israeli forces stormed his neighborhood, ransacking homes and detaining men and youth indiscriminately.<\/p>\n

“They arrested my son and me, tied our hands, blindfolded us, and took us to the field interrogation site. Around 200 detainees were held there for nearly seven hours before being released\u2014still blindfolded and handcuffed.”<\/p>\n

Islim described how soldiers threw stun grenades at the released detainees to terrorize them, forcing them to stumble and fall.<\/p>\n

“They didn\u2019t care about the cold or our age. I saw one detainee crash into an electric pole, and instead of helping him, the soldiers beat him more.”<\/p>\n

According to Islim, settlers later circulated images online showing the abuse of Azzun\u2019s residents, demonstrating that the raid was designed to appease Israeli settlers.<\/p>\n

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Israeli military assault<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unprecedented Military Operation<\/h3>\n

Azzun mayor Fadel Hawari described the scale of the attack, saying that around 500 Israeli soldiers, 40 military vehicles, two heavy armored tanks, and a bulldozer were deployed in the raid\u2014an unprecedented show of force in over two decades.<\/p>\n

At midnight, Israeli forces entered from multiple directions, sealed all entry points, and launched a sweeping campaign of raids and home demolitions.<\/p>\n