Hundreds of Israeli soldiers backed by armoured vehicles have carried out raids in the Palestinian town of Tubas near Nablus, marking the largest military deployment in the occupied West Bank since the ceasefire in Gaza last month. The operation, described by Israel as a “broad counter-terrorism” campaign, is expected to last several days.
Palestinian media reported that a curfew was imposed on Tubas and neighbouring communities on Tuesday night. Roads were blocked with earthen barriers, and families were forced from their homes to allow Israeli forces to use the buildings.
Witnesses described scenes of disruption as troops moved through residential areas, while the Israeli military distributed leaflets warning residents that Tubas had “become a haven for terrorism”. The leaflets threatened that unless conditions changed, the army would act “as we did in Jenin and Tulkarm”, referring to earlier large-scale assaults in northern West Bank cities that caused widespread destruction and displaced tens of thousands.
The raids come amid continuing violence in Gaza, despite the fragile ceasefire. Overnight bombardments were reported near al-Bureij in central Gaza. The Israeli military claimed to have killed six Hamas militants who had emerged from a tunnel near Rafah in the south of the territory.
The claim could not be independently verified, but clashes between Israeli forces and militants trapped in tunnels have been frequent in recent days in areas under Israeli control.
On Tuesday, Hamas handed over the remains of Dror Or, an Israeli hostage killed alongside his wife during the group’s surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, which triggered the current conflict.
Two hostages, one Israeli and one Thai, remain in Gaza. Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage returned, a deal that has seen several exchanges in recent weeks.
The October 2023 assault by Hamas and allied factions killed around 1,200 people in Israel and led to the abduction of 251 hostages to Gaza.
In response, Israel launched a massive offensive that has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians and injured more than 170,000, according to figures cited by humanitarian organisations. Hundreds of casualties have been reported even after the ceasefire was declared last month.
International efforts to end the conflict continue, though progress remains uncertain. The next phase of Donald Trump’s 20-point plan proposes the creation of an international body to govern Gaza and oversee reconstruction under a renewable two-year UN mandate.
The plan also calls for an armed stabilisation force to maintain security and ensure the disarmament of Hamas, a key Israeli demand. However, the implementation of these measures faces significant political and logistical challenges.
Violence in the West Bank has escalated sharply since October 2023 and has persisted despite the ceasefire. The United Nations reports that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, attributing most of the deaths to “systematic and excessive use of lethal force by Israeli forces”.
UN officials noted that live fire, airstrikes, and shoulder-fired missiles have been used in densely populated areas, resulting in numerous civilian deaths, including children.
At least 44 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank, according to UN figures.
Human Rights Watch this week accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity through the forced displacement of populations from West Bank refugee camps earlier this year.
The organisation reported that 32,000 people were displaced in January and February 2025 and have not been permitted to return. Many of their homes were deliberately demolished by Israeli forces, the group said.
The latest raids in Tubas highlight the continuing volatility in the West Bank and the difficulty of sustaining the ceasefire in Gaza.
With both regions experiencing fresh violence, and international mediation efforts facing formidable obstacles, prospects for a lasting resolution remain bleak.
