Israeli raids and checkpoints choke movement near Nablus

Israeli occupation soldiers stormed towns of Aqraba, south of Nablus, and Sebastia, to the north-west in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian news agency reported.

Residents said several military vehicles entered the communities and carried out provocative patrols through residential streets. Although no clashes were reported, the presence of heavily armed troops created fear and disrupted daily life.

At the same time, Israeli soldiers established a checkpoint north of Nablus, stopping cars, searching vehicles and interrogating passengers, adding to already severe restrictions on Palestinian movement between nearby towns and villages.

In Qalqilya, eyewitnesses told Wafa that another checkpoint went up at the eastern entrance to the city on Sunday evening. Soldiers halted motorists, checked identity cards and conducted extensive searches, triggering long delays and a major traffic backlog that lasted for hours.

The latest incursions underline Israel’s tightening grip on the occupied West Bank, where routine military raids and roadblocks continue to suffocate Palestinian life.