On January 11, 2026, Israeli forces carried out a large-scale raid on the Old City of Nablus, in the Occupied West Bank (Nablus, as a Zone A city, is under PA administration, but its Old City and surrounding areas frequently see Israeli incursions, especially during military operations or raids).

In the early hours of Sunday, Israeli forces temporarily detaining journalists, medics, and other residents.

Israeli forces surrounded journalists in the al-Yasmina neighborhood as they covered the incursion, which involved live ammunition, extensive tear gas, and a full sealing-off of the Old City. Several media workers were threatened, ordered to leave, and briefly detained during the operation. Journalist Laith Ja‘ar suffered serious injuries from tear gas inhalation.

Medical personnel and worshippers targeted:

According to Ghassan Hamdan, director of the Medical Relief Society in Nablus, Israeli forces fired directly at two medics, who were not injured, and briefly detained them inside Al-Satoun Mosque. Dozens of worshippers had also been temporarily held in the mosque since dawn before being released. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 20 injuries in total: three from live bullets (transferred to Rafidia Governmental Hospital with moderate condition), one from a rubber bullet, one from assault by beating, and 15 cases of tear gas inhalation treated on-site. Ambulances were prevented from reaching a detained family in the Al-Yasmina Quarter, obstructing emergency medical access.

Military operation details:

Undercover Israeli special forces infiltrated the Al-Qaryun neighborhood inside the Old City, where they came under fire in an ambush, leaving one soldier wounded.

Additional Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) units were deployed to both Al-Qaryun and al-Yasmina neighborhoods, previously associated with the “Areen al-Aswad” (Lion’s Den) organization.

Forces were stationed across multiple neighborhoods and the Eastern Market area, firing live ammunition and deploying tear gas extensively.

Citizens Luay Sha’ban and Hamido Zekari were arrested after the mosque in the area was besieged.

A raid on the home of Sheikh Maher al-Kharraz resulted in the complete destruction of his house amidst a barrage of gunfire.

The Palestinian Red Crescent coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate dozens of worshippers trapped inside Al-Satoun Mosque and also assisted journalists and paramedics who were besieged in the Old City. In total, 12 worshippers were evacuated along with other relief personnel.

By later Sunday, witnesses reported that Israeli forces had fully withdrawn from the Old City, leaving behind a scene of injuries, arrests, and destruction.

On January 12:

Sheikh Maher Kharraz, an elderly Palestinian man in his late 80s of age, was abducted by Israeli occupation forces in the morning after they raided his home in Nablus at dawn today, after they had raided his house the previous during their attack on the Old City and tampered with its contents. Sheikh Maher is a released prisoner, an elderly man who spent years in the occupation's prisons, and the father of the martyr Sa'ad Al-Khara'z from the Al-Qassam Brigades.

According to Jerusalem Post:

"Israeli security forces have arrested the suspect in a Palestinian shooting attack that wounded a soldier during a counterterror operation in Shechem (Nablus). The suspect, identified as Hamas operative Zaid Haraz, was arrested on Monday morning following a day-long manhunt. Additional suspects who assisted Haraz’s escape were also detained. On Sunday morning, the operation in Nablus, West Bank, left an IDF soldier moderately wounded as a result of a terrorist's gunfire. After the incident, the IDF started a manhunt, which ended today with Haraz's arrest. The soldier was taken to the hospital for medical care, and his family was notified. West Bank terrorist violence against the IDF has been a current reality in the territories."