Israeli Forces Withdraw from Budrus; Residents Survey Damage Amid Retaliation Fears

Israeli military forces withdrew from the town of Budrus and its surroundings on Tuesday evening, heading towards the Beit Iksa checkpoint. Residents have begun inspecting their homes and property following several days of incursions and field interrogations. The situation remains tense despite the withdrawal, with no precise figures available yet on the number of individuals arrested or detained during the operation.

Locals are currently assessing the damage to homes, properties, and businesses. Palestinian sources reported during the operation that dozens of young men were held at a field interrogation center established in a house seized by the forces. The tunnel connecting Budrus to the northwest Jerusalem area towards Ramallah remains open in both directions after experiencing temporary and random closures overnight, contributing to ongoing apprehension among residents.

Journalist Ahmed Ayash expressed concerns that residents fear retaliatory attacks from settlers, particularly given the proximity of settlements to the residential area in northwest Jerusalem. Some residents who left their homes during the searches have returned, and despite their fear, they are refusing to abandon their homes. Ayash's own family refused to leave their home for a safer location.

Ayash also revealed that one home in Budrus received an eviction order on Tuesday, with 14 days to vacate before demolition. This house does not belong to the perpetrator of a recent operation but to the family of another prisoner previously accused of killing a settler. Ayash warned that this action could signal continued escalation in the coming hours or days, despite the troop withdrawal.

Regarding detainees, most of those subjected to field interrogations have returned home. However, some were transferred to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah after allegedly suffering physical abuse. Ayash stated that several homes were vandalized, with some houses used as resting points for soldiers before being damaged upon their departure. He described the destruction as "systematic," and residents are continuing to tally the damage left by the operation throughout the town.