Israeli army raids Palestinian towns, forces shop closures in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army raided two Palestinian towns in the southern occupied West Bank late Sunday, forcing shop owners to close their businesses and assaulting residents, according to witnesses and Palestinian state media.

The raids came during peak shopping hours as town centers were crowded with residents preparing for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday and after the Palestinian government released part of public employees’ salaries.

The main raid focused on Dura, south of Hebron, where witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli military vehicles entered the town center amid heavy crowds before troops spread across streets, fired tear gas canisters and forced shop owners to shut their stores.

Witnesses said Israeli soldiers rounded up several young men, blindfolded them and gathered them outside a shop while assaulting them.