Israeli Forces Detain Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin

Israeli forces carried out multiple predawn detention raids across the occupied Palestinian territory between Monday and Tuesday and detained at least 23 Palestinians — including two minors — according to Palestinian and Israeli security sources.

“Israeli army troops detained nine Palestinians after raiding their homes in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil [Hebron],” the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a Tuesday statement, reported by Anadolu Agency.

“Another six Palestinians were arrested in the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Tubas and Jenin,” it added.

According to the same NGO, Israeli forces on Monday also detained three Palestinian minors in occupied East Jerusalem.

Local Palestinian sources said six were detained in the Hebron district towns of Beit Ummar, Beit Awwa, and Yatta in the southern occupied West Bank.

In Beit Ummar north of Hebron City, Israeli forces detained Muhammad Ibrahim Ali Abu Mariya, 17, Wasim Ibrahim Bahar, 16, and Anan Sidqi Muhammad Khalil, 17, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said.
To the west of Hebron city, in Beit Awwa, Israeli forces detained Izz al-Din Masalma.

Meanwhile, in the town of Yatta south of Hebron, Israeli troops detained Husam Ahmad Makhamreh and Hani Ismail Makhamreh. Locals noted that Husam Makhamreh is a brother of Muhammad Makhamreh, who carried out a deadly shooting attack in Tel Aviv along with his cousin Khalid Makhamreh in June.

PPS also identified three other Palestinians — Ismail Shaher Rayan, Fahed Issa Awwad, and Fatah member Zyad Iqab al-Nawaja, 40 — as being detained in the Hebron district, without specifying the specific locations.

In the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah, Palestinian security sources said that Israeli forces detained Abd al-Salam Fahim Abid from his home in al-Amari refugee camp.

PPS confirmed the detention, adding that brothers Moussa Assi, 48, and Naif Assi, 50, were also detained in the Ramallah and al-Bireh district.

In the northern Tubas district, three Palestinians were detained in the al-Faraa refugee camp, identified by locals and PPS as Abdullah Odeh, Sahir Odeh, 23, and his brother Hamza, 27.

Meanwhile, Hamada Abd al-Wahhab Abdullah was detained from his home in the village of Deir Ballut in the Salfit district, locals said.

In the northern city of Tulkarem, Israeli forces detained Thaer Bilal Ahmad, 25, and his brother Tamir, 22, from the Thinnaba neighborhood.

Israeli forces also detained Nur al-Din Qarariya from the village of al-Fandaqumiya south of Jenin in the northern West Bank. Local sources said he was detained at the Barta Israeli military checkpoint north of Jenin.

The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns in the occupied territories that ostensibly target Palestinians who are “wanted” by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Over 7,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in prisons throughout the Jewish state, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs.

Israeli forces raid the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-nightly basis, with an average of 71 raids each week in 2016, according to UN documentation.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of July. The group estimates that 40 percent of Palestinian men have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.