Israeli forces arrest 13 Palestinians in West Bank

The army and police have been ramping up raids in response to a deadly spike in violence among Palestinians and Israelis

The West Bank town of Hawara saw an unprecedented raid by Israeli settlers after the killing of two Israelis. EPA
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Israeli forces said they arrested 13 people on suspicion of terrorism offences in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

Raids in Jenin, Hebron and surrounding areas were conducted by police, the army and the Shin Bet internal intelligence agency.

Reports said that civilians fired at troops in a number of the flashpoints. No Israeli casualties were reported.

There has been a surge in violence in recent weeks.

On Tuesday, the top Israeli general in charge of soldiers in the West Bank accused settlers who rampaged through a Palestinian town of carrying out a “pogrom” and spreading terror.

A “pogrom” is a mob attack, approved or condoned by the authorities, against a religious, racial or national minority.

One Palestinian was killed and scores injured when hundreds of Israeli settlers ran through the streets of Hawara on Sunday wielding iron bars and other weapons, and setting fire to homes and cars, after the fatal shooting of two Israelis by Palestinian gunmen.

On Wednesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the town to be “erased”. The US State Department said the comments amounted to incitement to violence and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly disavow them.

Updated: March 02, 2023, 8:51 AM