ISRAELI FORCES DETAIN FIVE PALESTINIANS IN SILWAN

Israeli forces detained five Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem during clashes in the Ein al-Luza neighborhood of Silwan late Friday(3/4). (Photo: Ma’an)

Al-Quds (Jerusalem), 16 Jumadil Akhir 1436/5 April 2015 (MINA) – Israeli forces detained five Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem during clashes in the Ein al-Luza neighborhood of Silwan late Friday(3/4).

Lawyer of the Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association, Muhammad Mahmoud, identified those detained as Hani Shweiki, 27, Bassel Shweiki, 20, Mahmoud Ashur, 16, Amjad Shweiki, 16, and Tawfiq Shweiki, 17, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The detainees were transferred to different interrogation centers.

Majdi al-Abbasi from the Wadi Haliweh Information Center in Silwan said that clashes erupted late Friday in the neighborhood, where Israeli soldiers opened live fire into the air to disperse protesters.

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Al-Abbasi added that an Israeli police jeep caught fire when youths threw Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces, who fired both live and rubber-coated bullets in return.

Israeli forces also fired stun grenades and tear-gas canisters targeting homes and vehicles, and set up flying checkpoints to search vehicles in the area.

An Israeli police spokesperson did not immediately return Ma’an’s request for information on Friday’s incidents.

The neighborhood of Silwan is witness to ongoing tensions due to increasing numbers of settlers, many of which move to the area with the assistance of organizations that facilitate the purchase and takeover of Palestinian homes in the Old City and occupied East Jerusalem in an effort to “Judaize Jerusalem.”

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Last month, settlers raided a Silwan building belonging to the Palestinian al-Malhi family and took over three apartments, before changing the locks and removing all furniture. The takeover was carried out with the protection and assistance of Israeli forces and private security.

Israeli forces cordoned off the property ahead of the move, with the settlers also taking over tens of dunams of land belonging to the al-Abbasi and Shaban families.

Silwan residents also faced demolition orders for five homes as well as a number of arrests last week, including resident Abd al-Rahim al-Abbasi, 30, who will be held in administrative detention until June 27, 2015. (T/P010/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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