Israeli Forces Arrest Palestinian Mayor in West Bank Town

West Bank, MINA – Israeli occupation forces detained the mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan, a town in the northern West Bank on Saturday, according to Palestinian media reports. The arrest marks the latest in a series of detentions targeting Palestinian officials since late August, Anadolu Agency reported.

Palestinian state television reported that troops raided the town, located near Salfit, and arrested Mayor Ibrahim Asi along with a bulldozer driver, Galib Reyyan. Israeli soldiers also confiscated the bulldozer used by the two men.

The arrest reportedly occurred as the men attempted to remove a large concrete block placed by the Israeli military at the town’s entrance. According to local residents, the barrier, along with an iron gate installed by Israeli forces, has narrowed the road and caused several vehicle accidents due to limited access.

Asi is the fifth Palestinian mayor to be arrested in the occupied West Bank since August 23. Other detained mayors include Amin Abu Alia (al-Mughayyir), Tayseer Abu Sneineh (Hebron/Al-Khalil), Nafiz Hammoudeh (Qubeiba), and Abdul Fattah Abu Ali (Silat al-Zahr).

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Since the start of Israel’s military aggression in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, there has been a significant increase in Israeli military operations, arrests, and violence across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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