ISRAELI FORCES DETAIN 26 PALESTINIANS IN WEST BANK, EAST JERUSALEM
Bethlehem, 20 Shawwal 1436/5 August 2015 (MINA) – Israeli forces detained up to 26 Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem overnight Monday, local sources and the Israeli army told Ma’an.
Local sources reported at least 13 detentions across the West Bank and a further nine in East Jerusalem, while the Israeli army confirmed at least 17 arrests in the occupied West Bank, Ma’an News Agency reported by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).
Local sources said that Israeli forces detained Abdullah Bakir Owda from Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, and a further three from Nablus district in the early hours of Tuesday.
The detainees were identified as Fadel Musadek al-Masri, 20, from the village of Eraq al-Tayeh in northern Nablus, Anas Fawzi Ahmad Ziyada, 20, from Madma in northern Nablus, and Anas Hussein Issa Darawsha, 26, from Awarta in western Nablus.
Israeli forces also detained six Palestinians from Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem, identified as Ahmad Attallah al-Mashayikh, Hazem abu-Akir, Samid Ahmad al-Atik, Srour Mohammad Abu Srour, Muhannad Jamal Jaara, and Laith Nabhan al-Amouri.
Israeli media reported that the detentions in Aida were made by Israeli special forces.
In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces detained Azza al-Azza, Alaa Khalil al-Azza, and Suhaib al-Titi from al-Fawwar refugee camp in Hebron.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that Israeli forces detained 17 Palestinians in the West Bank, confirming the detentions in Qalqiliya, Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron, and adding that two more Palestinians were detained in Tulkarem and another two in Ramallah.
She said they were arrested for “illegal activity,” without providing further detail.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli forces were reported to have detained at least nine Palestinians early Tuesday.
Six of the detainees, still under Israeli detention, were security guards from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where clashes broke out on Tuesday morning after an Israeli extremist attempted to raise an Israeli flag over the holy site.
The detainees were identified as Radwan Omar, Fadi Bakir, Raed Izghayer, Majdi Abbasi, Husam Sidir, Ahmad Abu Alia, Amir Balbisi, Majd Abdin, and Mohammad Hashlmoun.
An Israeli police spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Israeli forces routinely detain Palestinians throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, often on the pretext of perceived security threats, and Addameer estimates that 40 percent of the Palestinian male population has been arrested at some point.
Nearly 6,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently being held in Israeli jails. (T/P010/R04)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
