Israeli forces detain 16 Palestinians in raids across West Bank, East Jerusalem
JUNE 6, 2017 4:33 P.M. (UPDATED: JUNE 6, 2017 6:01 P.M.)
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 16 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, before dawn Tuesday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said in a statement that five Palestinians were detained in the Jerusalem area, who were identified as Yaqoub al-Shawish, Muhammad al-Shawish, Mumen al-Hashim, and Nihad al-Zghayyar -- detained on his return to Jerusalem after traveling abroad, and 27-year-old Muhammad Nihad Khadour who was detained in the village of Biddu.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed that a detention was made in Biddu, while an Israeli police spokesperson said in a statement that two Palestinians were detained during a raid into the Jerusalem district town of Abu Dis, where an explosives-manufacturing laboratory was allegedly uncovered.
“The operation took place after over 30 explosive pipe bombs were thrown at security personnel since the beginning of the year,” Micky Rosenfeld wrote in the statement, saying that the two suspects were detained for their alleged involvement in throwing pipe bombs at Israeli forces.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said in a separate statement that a 19-year-old Palestinian was detained in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, after he was “suspected of inciting violence and terrorism on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.”
Meanwhile, PPS said that during a raid in the central occupied West Bank town of Kaft al-Dik in the Salfit district, 19-year-old Karam Saber al-Dik was detained, which was confirmed by the Israeli army.
The Israeli army spokesperson also said that three Palestinians were detained in the village of Nabi Saleh in the central Ramallah district.
In the southern occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, the Israeli army said that two Palestinians were detained -- one of whom was an alleged “Hamas operative.” PPS identified two detainees from Bethlehem as Salim Mahmoud Nawawreh and Fadi Samir Ghazzawi.
Israeli forces also raided the town of Beit Ummar in the southern Hebron district and detained four Palestinians, three of them brothers.
Local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma'an that a large numbers of Israeli troops stormed the center of the town before breaking into the home of Issa Sleibi, "using a robot to dislocate the doors.”
Israeli soldiers then detained Muhammad Issa Sleibi, 32, and his brothers Alaa, 25 and15-year-old Khalid.
Israeli forces also ordered their mother and Alaa’s wife to appear for interrogation at Israel’s Gush Etzion detention center on Wednesday.
During the raid in Beit Ummar, Israeli forces also detained 20-year-old Zeid Hussein Bahar from his home, and delivered summons to Bilal Hamdi Abu Mariya, 30, and Karim Ibrahim Abu Mariya, 17, the appear for questioning.
An Israeli army spokesperson only confirmed one detention was made in Beit Ummar but told Ma’an they would look into reports on the other detentions.
Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The United Nations recorded an average of 95 weekly raids in the occupied West Bank in 2016, and an average of 67 raids a week so far 2017.
According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, 6,300 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of April, including 300 minors, 61 women, and 500 under administrative detention -- Israel's contested policy of imprisonment without charge or trial.
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