Israeli occupation forces raided the Palestinian military intelligence headquarters this morning in a Ramallah outskirt, reportedly arresting scores of people including 18 Aqsa Martyrs Brigades activists. According to media reports and eyewitnesses tens of Israeli military vehicles invaded Ramallah at dawn, surrounding the headquarters and firing shots and stun grenades while soldiers called out on loudspeakers to “those wanted” to hand themselves in.

The arrest campaign, which also included several other Palestinian activists in various parts of the West Bank, comes on the heels of the Israeli army’s botched Operation Winter Heat in Nablus last week. That operation, which was also aimed at apprehending wanted Palestinians, was deemed a failure in terms of its declared goals, only succeeding to further destroy the city’s infrastructure.

Palestinian media sources are calling this arrest campaign the largest since the Nativity Church siege in April, 2002 in which dozens of Palestinians were arrested by Israeli troops after being holed up in the church for days. Some were later deported from the country.

According to Israeli sources, one of the men arrested at the military headquarters this morning was Khaled Shilo, an Aqsa Martyrs activist who has been on the run from Israeli authorities for the past seven years.