Israeli forces raid two West Bank universities and detain campus guards

Israeli forces stormed two West Bank universities at dawn on Tuesday, detaining five campus security guards in what Palestinian officials condemned as a fresh assault on academic life under occupation.

Troops entered Birzeit University, north of Ramallah, at around 4am, shutting all gates, smashing doors and seizing student placards, Dean of Student Affairs Ghassan Barghouti told Al Araby. The raid forced the campus to suspend activity as staff assessed the damage.

Hours later, Israeli forces moved on Al Quds University in Abu Dis, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, widening what Palestinians describe as an escalating campaign to intimidate students and dismantle spaces of political and cultural expression.