Israeli forces have placed the West Bank town of Qabatiya under lockdown as security operations entered a second day following an attack in northern Israel that left two people dead.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army was “operating forcefully against terror hubs in the village of Qabatiya,” adding that the operation includes a full cordon around the town. He vowed that Israel would continue an “uncompromising offensive policy against Palestinian terror.”
But inside Qabatiya, residents say the measures amount to collective punishment. Local resident Bilal Hunaisha described blocked roads and restricted movement, saying he could no longer reach his own home freely.
The ongoing security campaign followed Friday’s attack, in which Israeli police say a 34-year-old Palestinian man used a vehicle to ram a 68-year-old man before stabbing an 18-year-old woman to death. Authorities said the suspect had been working illegally inside Israel and used his employer’s vehicle.
In response, Israeli troops and the Shin Bet internal security agency searched homes in Qabatiya, including the attacker’s residence. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has since ordered troop reinforcements to the area, saying authorities must improve enforcement against those facilitating illegal entry into Israel while also working to prevent further attacks.
Some residents reported detentions and questioning. One man, Muhannad Zakarneh, said he was arrested at home and handcuffed for hours without explanation. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that soldiers had also taken over a school for use as a temporary interrogation site.
Violence has surged across the region since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023. Israeli figures say at least 38 people have been killed inside Israel in Palestinian attacks since then. Meanwhile, Palestinian health authorities report that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during Israeli military operations or settler-related incidents over the same period. Israeli officials say at least 44 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank during this time, including both civilians and soldiers.
Beyond the statistics are families on all sides experiencing fear, grief, and uncertainty — from those mourning loved ones in Israel to residents in Qabatiya facing sudden roadblocks, questioning, and life under lockdown. In moments like these, it becomes clear that every headline reflects real people, real homes, and real emotions — and the quiet hope that one day daily life can return to something that feels normal again.
