Eight buildings seized in Jericho as PA arrests brokers

Eight buildings in the Jericho suburb of Ad-Duyuk al-Tahta changed hands last week in a transaction involving dozens of Israeli settlers. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has since arrested several suspects in connection with the sales, which occurred in violation of local laws prohibiting the transfer of land to Israeli citizens.

Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for PA security forces, stated that the detainees are suspected of involvement in the takeover of land in the Ad-Duyuk area. According to reports from the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the arrested individuals were brokers who facilitated the property transfers. They have been remanded in custody for 15 days.

The settlers associated with the Nachala settlement organization moved into the eight structures in a single operation. Nachala announced the purchase only after the settlers had taken up residence in the homes. The organization claimed the transaction was conducted with the cooperation of the Binyamin Regional Council, a state-funded settlement municipal authority. The council also asserted that the buildings sit on Israeli state land, a claim that raises questions about how the council could purchase land if it was privately owned by Palestinians.

The properties are located in Area C of the West Bank, a zone under full Israeli civil and security control pursuant to the Oslo Accords. This area is adjacent to the city of Jericho, a population center of over 20,000 residents that falls under full PA control in Area A. Reports indicate that the Palestinians who originally built the homes did so illegally on land designated as state property.

The arrests come amid a surge in settler violence across the West Bank in recent months. Daily attacks and harassment incidents have drawn international criticism, with critics accusing the outgoing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to address the issue. Security forces have been criticized for preventing action against perpetrators, few of whom have been charged or convicted.

Violence continued on Monday in the South Hebron Hills. Footage published by Palestinian media outlets showed a settler slapping a Palestinian woman in the Khallet al-Hummus area while grazing sheep near her home. The settler told the woman, "Don't come near me. Are you threatening me with a stick?" Another settler stood beside him filming the encounter. In a separate incident, settlers set fire to three excavators and several other vehicles in an industrial area near the village of Beita, south of Nablus. No injuries were reported in either event.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces captured 10 Palestinians affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group during a raid in the West Bank. The military stated the suspects were planning an attack on Israeli civilians. Soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit and the Duvdevan Commando Unit, along with Border Police officers, raided the village of Arraba near Jenin following intelligence from the Shin Bet security agency. Troops simultaneously searched 10 different buildings and located all wanted suspects within half an hour. The suspects were handed over to the Shin Bet and Israel Police for further questioning.