Israeli forces arrest 53 Palestinians in Biddu raid, hold them in seized homes

September 21, 2026 at 05:31 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Israeli forces arrested at least 53 Palestinians during a raid on Biddu in the occupied West Bank, holding them in interrogation centers set up in seized homes. The raid, the third incursion into the town since Sunday, has shut schools and businesses and left residents confined to their homes.

Key Facts

At least 53 Palestinians are being held in an interrogation centre established by Israeli forces inside a seized house in Biddu.
The raid on Biddu is the third incursion into the town since a Palestinian man from Biddu was arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing an Israeli settler on Sunday.
Biddu Mayor Nazmi Mansour said Israeli troops have turned several homes into detention centres and are interrogating dozens of young men.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank from January to late July 2026.

The Raid

Israeli forces arrested at least 53 Palestinians during a raid on the town of Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. The raid early on Monday is the third incursion into the area since a Palestinian man from the town suspected of shooting and killing an Israeli settler on Sunday was arrested. The Israeli military said a man armed with a gun fired at vehicles near Halamish, an illegal settlement west of Ramallah in the central West Bank. They said the suspect was shot and wounded and later arrested during a military raid at a hospital in Ramallah.

Detention and Interrogation

The Jerusalem Governorate said on Monday that Israeli forces continue to detain at least 53 young men in an interrogation centre the forces established inside one of the houses seized during their raid on the town. Biddu Mayor Nazmi Mansour told Al Jazeera that troops were deployed throughout the town, raiding and searching homes, while offices, shops and educational institutions remain shut. Mansour said the occupation forces have abused and assaulted a number of citizens during the ongoing raids and searches, and that residents are staying in their homes amid a state of fear and anticipation. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, said Israeli forces were also conducting field interrogations in Biddu to remind people that if anyone considers an attack against Israelis, the whole town will pay the price.

Context of Violence

Israeli military and settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has been steadily growing since the eruption of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, but has intensified significantly this year. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank from January to late July, averaging six a day and marking the fastest pace in about 20 years.