Israeli Forces Arrest at Least 53 Palestinians in Biddu Raid Following Neve Tzuf Shooting

Israeli forces raided the town of Biddu, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, at dawn on Monday, September 21, 2026 -- the third incursion into the town since a Palestinian resident was accused of shooting dead Israeli settler Netanel Shukrun at a spring near Neve Tzuf (Halamish) the previous day, on the eve of Yom Kippur. The Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli forces detained at least 53 young men, holding them at an interrogation and detention center set up inside a house seized during the raid, and that soldiers searched, vandalized and damaged several homes and physically assaulted residents. Biddu Mayor Nazmi Mansour said 'the occupation forces have abused and assaulted a number of citizens during ongoing raids.' An Al Jazeera correspondent said Israeli forces were conducting field interrogations 'to remind people that if anyone is considering an attack against Israelis, then the whole town ... will pay the price.' The Israeli military said the suspected gunman had fired on vehicles near Halamish before being shot, wounded and arrested at a Ramallah-area hospital hours after the shooting. The raid followed Prime Minister Netanyahu's instruction to security forces to increase their presence in the West Bank and carry out arrests and offensive operations after the Neve Tzuf shooting and a separate thwarted car-ramming attack near Ganim, Jenin, on September 20.