Mass arrest waves in Al-Fawwar Camp

Almost every month, Israeli occupation forces arrest several people during recurring raids of the Al-Fawar camp south of Hebron in the West Bank.

Context:

Fawwar camp is the southernmost camp in the West Bank, located approximately eight kilometres south of Hebron. The population in Fawwar camp has more than tripled since its establishment.

The Israeli settlement of Beit Haggay and an Israeli military camp are located only a few kilometres away from Fawwar camp. An Israeli military watchtower is situated at the entrance of the camp. As a consequence, incursions, camp closures and clashes between young camp residents and the Israeli military are current.

Residents in Fawwar camp previously depended almost entirely on access to Israel for employment opportunities. The current inaccessibility of the Israeli labour market has thus severely affected employment levels and the economic situation in the camp, contributing to the camp’s high levels of unemployment and poverty.

Chronology of the mass arrest campaigns

One My 31, 2024

During the raid a Palestinian youth brought down an Israeli drone.

On october 24, 2024

Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces had stormed the Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron, and launched an arrest campaign.

On November 2, 2024 :

• Israeli forces arrested ten Palestinians, on Saturday, during their raid on Al-Fawwar camp in the Hebron Governorate in the southern West Bank.

• Palestinian local sources reported that the occupation forces stormed the camp a midst gunfire and use of sound bombs and tear gas, detaining more than 28 residents after breaking into their homes, took them handcuffed to the entrance of the camp, and after field investigations, more than ten citizens were arrested.

• Israeli forces surrounded the camp, closed its entrances, and prevented anyone from entering or exiting the area.

• A Palestinian youth was wounded by Israeli live bullets in the foot and was taken to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Qasim Hospital in Yatta for treatment.

On December 23, 2024:

Eearly in the morning, Israeli Forces launch a large-Scale raid on Al-Fawwar Refugee Camp: Between 70 and 80 Palestinian Civilians were detained at a local club stadium that had been converted into a field interrogation centre.

On February 5, 2025:

Israeli forces carry out mass arrests of Palestinians.

On April 19, 2025:

The Israeli forces carried out a massive arrest campaign targeting more than 60 young men in Al-Fawwar refugee camp. They also raided a large number of citizens’ homes, searched them, and vandalized their contents. The detainees were interrogated on the spot. The occupation forces have released a number of them.

But they arrested eight of them: Muhammad Fayez Al-Wawi, Ahmad Bassam Al-Bayed, Jalal Bassam Al-Bayed, Mahdi Alaa Al-Bayed, Amjad Younis Al-Najjar, Aboud Joda Awidat, Muhammad Joda Awidat, and Ali Ashraf Khudairat.