Description

SALFIT (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces arrested 18 people overnight Saturday, Israel's army and locals said.

Israeli forces raided the Salfit village of Haris and detained Tamer Ayad Souf, Ammar Abed Souf and Ali Yassin Shamlawi, all aged 16, locals told Ma'an.

In Beit Ummar, Ali Saed Ali Sabarneh, 17, Ali Ahmad Rashid Sabarneh, 16, and Jihad Nasser Mohammad Ikhlayel, 16, were arrested, locals said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that three people were detained in Haris, four in al-Yamun village in Jenin, one in al-Judeida village, one in Salem, one in Asira al-Shamaliya, one in Nilin, three in Beit Ummar, one in Saris, two in Hebron and one in Duheisha refugee camp.

All those detained were taken for security questioning, she added.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are routinely arrested by Israeli military forces, usually on the pretext of security.

Around 40 percent of Palestinian men living in the occupied territories have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.