Israeli forces raided the occupied West Bank village of Izbat al-Tabib overnight Friday after residents demonstrated against the construction of a settler bypass road on their private land.
Head of the village’s local council, Bayan Tabib, told Ma’an that residents had protested during the day Friday after Israeli forces announced plans to confiscate their land to build a new road serving illegal Israeli settlements in the area.
Tabib said Israeli military forces then stormed the Qalqiliya-area village in the night, searching several homes including his own.
When the forces arrived to his home, an Israeli officer reportedly threatened the village council head to stop residents from demonstrating near route 55, the settler bypass road where locals had protested earlier that day.
“An Israeli officer, who said he was the deputy commander of the Qalqiliya area, notified me that Israel won’t accept any more demonstrations on route 55,” Tabib said.
“He threatened to take punitive procedures against me including the demolition of my house if I continue to coordinate the demonstrations,” Tabib added.
The village council head told Ma’an that Izbat al-Tabib residents planned to continue “peaceful activities in protest against the confiscation of their land and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements."
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that "assailants" in Izbat al-Tabib had "hurled Molotov cocktails at security forces in the area," who responded by "searching the area for suspects, who fled the scene."
