Occupation arrests journalist Alaa al-Rimawi and launches widespread raids in the West Bank

Israeli occupation forces arrested journalist Alaa al-Rimawi from his home in al-Bireh early Thursday, as part of a widespread campaign of raids and arrests across cities, towns, and camps in the West Bank, resulting in dozens of arrests and injuries from live fire and suffocation.

Israeli occupation forces arrested journalist Alaa al-Rimawi early Thursday, September 17, 2026, after storming his home in the al-Masayef neighborhood of al-Bireh. This coincided with a widespread campaign of raids and incursions across various cities, towns, and camps in the West Bank, during which dozens of citizens were arrested and homes were turned into military outposts. In the town of Hajja, east of Qalqilya, forces arrested at least 23 young men, injured five with live fire, and caused ten others to suffer suffocation. In the al-Ain refugee camp in Nablus, forces raided and searched homes, arrested young men, a girl, and her father, and closed surrounding streets, prompting nearby schools to suspend operations. The raids extended to Jenin, Tulkarm, Ramallah, occupied Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, dozens of young men were arrested, the Abu Dis club was turned into a field investigation center, and its contents were smashed. The campaign is part of a series of repeated military incursions in the West Bank.