Qais Omar and Tarek Chouiref
08 October 2026•Update: 08 October 2026
Israeli forces blew up the home of Palestinian prisoner Qadri Samara in the town of Biddu northwest of occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday after surrounding the area and forcing residents to evacuate, the Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said.
In a statement sent to Anadolu, the governorate said troops cordoned off the neighborhood and forced residents out of their homes, leaving some to spend the night in mosques.
Israeli forces first used bulldozers to demolish the lower floor of Samara’s home before blowing up the building, it added.
The Israeli army acknowledged demolishing the house and conducting raids in the area, claiming its troops searched for weapons.
It also acknowledged destroying memorials during a raid on Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, alleging they incited “terrorism” and glorified “terrorists.” The raid coincided with a curfew and arrests of Palestinians.
On Sept. 20, the army announced Samara’s arrest, alleging that he carried out a shooting near the Neve Tzuf settlement. It claimed he was found wounded in a hospital in Ramallah after fleeing the scene.
In Beit Duqqu, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided homes, detained Palestinians and conducted field interrogations, the governorate said. Troops also cordoned off the village, preventing residents from leaving for work.
Israeli forces carried out further arrests and field interrogations in nearby Beit Anan and Qatanna. In Qatanna, troops also sealed off the town, preventing residents from entering or leaving.
The governorate did not specify how many Palestinians were detained in the towns.
Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the occupied West Bank alongside a rise in occupier attacks.
The escalation has killed 1,207 Palestinians, including 254 children, injured around 13,350 and led to the arrest of more than 26,000, according to official Palestinian figures.