Israeli forces withdraw from Tubas after days-long assault

Israel’s army and Shin Bet have pulled out of Tubas after four days of raids across the occupied West Bank’s northeastern governorate, leaving behind mass arrests, injuries and widespread damage, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Wafa reported that Israeli forces withdrew tonight from Tubas, as well as from Aqaba to the north and Tayasir to the east. Troops had already pulled back from Tammun and the Far’a refugee camp the previous night.

Kamal Bani ‘Awda, director of the Palestinian Prisoners Club in Tubas, said Israeli forces detained or subjected roughly 200 Palestinians to field interrogations, with ten still in custody.

Nidal ‘Awda, who oversees regional ambulance services, said 204 people needed medical treatment after assaults by Israeli troops. Sixty-nine of them were transferred to hospital.

Israel claimed the raid was a “large-scale counter-terror operation”, saying its troops combed hundreds of buildings in Tammun and the al-Faraa camp and detained ten men it labelled “terrorists”. Dozens more were taken for questioning.