ISRAELI OCCUPATION ARRESTS 24 PALESTINIAN TRADERS: RIGHT CENTER

Gaza, 19 Dhulqa’dah 1436/3 September 2015 (MINA) – A significant increase in the number of arrested Palestinian traders by Israeli occupation authorities at Biet Hanoun crossing is documented recently after the fall in the number during the past months, Palestinian prisoners’ center for studies reported.

Reyad al-Ashqar the spokesperson of the center said that Israeli occupation authorities arrested 21 Palestinian traders during the first three months of this year, they released some of them but the most are still arrested. Israeli authorities accused them of smuggling banned materials and of cooperation with resistance factions.

Al-Ashqar explained that from April to 1 August no arrest cases recorded but the Israeli occupation authorities resumed the arrest after 1 August. Maan News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

 The center documented the arrest of the Palestinian trader Sami Tabash,52, while on his way to the West Bank. And the arrest of wael Auwdah and Zeyad al-Katatnee, both of them are building materials traders, while they were on their way to West Bank.

Al-Ashqar noted that Israeli authorities used this alleged accusations against the traders to justify their arrest as a method to tighten the economic blockade against Gaza.

He asked the international organizations to ban Israel from changing the crossing into a means to arrest the traders and turning Gaza into a big prison. (T/P002/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)