Israel Carries Out Mass Arrests of Palestinians, Including Jerusalem Governor

Jerusalem, MINA – Israeli forces detained more than 40 Palestinians, including Jerusalem Governor Adnan Ghaith, in mass arrests in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority.

“Ghaith was arrested in an Israeli raid on his home in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem,” a spokesman for Jerusalem’s governor Mauruf al-Rifai told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Al-Rifai said Israeli forces did not give any reason for the governor’s arrest.

“We were unable to communicate with him,” he added.

According to the Palestinian national news agency Wafa, Ghaith has been detained by Israeli forces more than 17 times since being appointed governor of Jerusalem in 2018.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrested more than 40 Palestinians in raids in the West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners Association (PPS) said.

The NGO said 26 Palestinians were detained in the city of Hebron, while other arrests were reported in Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jenin and Nablus.

PPS spokeswoman Amani Sarahna said most of the detainees were later released, without giving an exact number.

The Israeli army frequently conducts mass arrest operations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem under the pretext of searching for “fugitive” Palestinians.

Palestinian NGOs estimate there are about 4,650 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including at least 160 minors and 34 female prisoners. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)