Israeli Forces Raid, Besiege East Jerusalem Towns

Israeli forces launched a large-scale military operation early Tuesday in the town of Anata and the Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of occupied Jerusalem. The operation involved raiding dozens of homes and shops, making arrests, and assaulting residents, while simultaneously sealing off the area's entrances and imposing a curfew. Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers heavily deployed throughout the towns and camp, blocking all access points and preventing Palestinians from entering or leaving. Forces searched homes, businesses, and private properties, damaging contents and forcing open doors. In Anata, bulldozers targeted main water lines, threatening essential services and exacerbating the humanitarian situation. The Jerusalem Governorate described the actions as a "systematic military aggression," similar to a previous operation in Qalandia camp. The Governorate stated that the escalation is part of a "rising Israeli policy" targeting Palestinian towns around Jerusalem, employing collective punishment, restricting movement, and damaging infrastructure. This military action coincides with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's threat of "total war" against senior Palestinian Authority officials and related entities in the West Bank, following a stabbing attack near Nablus. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz instructed the military to prepare for an expanded confrontation with the PA to "decisively and completely resolve the confrontation."