NABLUS: The Israeli military on Wednesday launched an operation involving dozens of soldiers and armoured vehicles in the old city of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, witnesses and Palestinian officials said. The Israeli military confirmed that it was conducting an operation, without specifying its purpose. The raid began at around 3:00 am, residents said, with soldiers storming several neighbourhoods of the old city, which has a population of around 30,000 people.
One witness, who declined to give his name, reported that soldiers had expelled an elderly couple from their home. Soldiers "are storming and searching houses and shops inside the old city, while some houses have been turned into military posts," Ghassan Hamdan, head of the Palestinian Medical Relief organisation in Nablus, said. Daghlas said the army had informed Palestinian authorities that the raid would continue until 4:00 pm. Footage showed Israeli forces and military vehicles deployed on the streets of the city.
Local sources said clashes broke out at the eastern entrance to the old city, where young people threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas and live ammunition. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported several injuries as a result, but none from gunfire. The old city of Nablus has been the focus of several major Israeli raids, including in 2022 and 2023, during large-scale operations targeting a local grouping of armed fighters.
In early June 2025, the Israeli army carried out an operation there in which at least two Palestinians were killed. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, violence has surged in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. Israeli troops or settlers in the occupied West Bank have killed at least 972 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, since the beginning of the Gaza war, based on Palestinian Authority figures. In the same period, at least 36 Israelis, both civilians and security forces, have been killed in attacks or during military operations in the territory, according to Israeli figures.
Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators massed in Tel Aviv, seeking to put pressure on the government to end the war in Gaza and strike a deal to return hostages, as the security cabinet convened. The first protests began at daybreak as demonstrators blocked roads in the commercial hub, where they waved Israeli flags and held up pictures of the hostages, journalists reported.
Israeli media said others rallied near the US Embassy branch in the city, as well as outside the houses of various ministers. Hours later, thousands more gathered in "Hostage Square", which has served as a focal point for the protest movement for months.
Following the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later spoke at an event on Tuesday evening, remaining vague about the government's intentions as Israeli media reported the meeting had been inconclusive. The security cabinet approved a plan in early August for the military to take over Gaza City, triggering fresh fears for the safety of the hostages and a new wave of protests that has seen tens of thousands take to the streets.
That came days after Hamas said it had accepted a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators that would see the staggered release of hostages over an initial 60-day period in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In Doha on Tuesday, Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari told a regular news conference that mediators were still "waiting for an answer" from Israel to the latest proposal. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
