Israel arrests Palestinian man wanted for nearly 10 years in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces raid the Balata Camp, closing entrances and exits and restricting the movement of residents, as three Palestinians are injured and at least six people are detained during the raids in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, Palestine, on August 20, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli army arrested a Palestinian man on Wednesday evening after shooting and wounding him during a raid on his home in Tammun, in the occupied West Bank. The army has been pursuing him since 2017.

Kamal Bani Odeh, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club in Tubas, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli special forces raided the home of Samer Bani Odeh, a man in his 40s, and the neighbouring homes of his brothers in the al-Rafid area of Tammun, south-east of Tubas governorate.

Israeli forces opened fire during the raid, wounding Samer Bani Odeh in the hand before arresting him, he said.

READ: Israeli army arrests 30 Palestinians as occupiers assault family in occupied West Bank

Bani Odeh added that the army had raided the family’s homes on Wednesday morning and arrested one of Samer’s brothers to pressure him into surrendering. The brother was released several hours later.

Samer Bani Odeh has been pursued by the Israeli army since 2017. He is a former prisoner who spent two years in Israeli jails during the second Palestinian intifada, Bani Odeh said.

The family has faced repeated raids and arrests over the years, targeting Samer’s brothers, wife and son. His home has also been raided several times, he added.

Around 9,350 Palestinian prisoners are held in Israeli jails, including 350 children and 90 women, according to the report. Human rights organisations say prisoners are subjected to torture, starvation and medical neglect, which have led to the deaths of dozens of detainees.

READ: Palestinian journalists’ union warns of systematic targeting in West Bank, Jerusalem

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