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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Thursday at dawn, May 30 2012, dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded the As-Sa’diyya neighborhood, in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem, and the nearby towns of Al-Ezariyya and Abu Dis, broke into and searched Palestinian homes, and kidnapped 29 residents, including children.

Local sources in As-Sa’diyya neighborhood stated that the soldiers violently broke into several homes after smashing their doors, and searched them before kidnapping 12 Palestinians, including children.

The kidnapped Palestinians have been identified as Issa Mit’eb, 13, Mohammad Ghosha, 21, Mohammad Hilwani, 19, Maher Al-Beitouni, 19, Hammouda Al-Beitouni, 19, Anas Al-Afghany, 21, Ala’ Makiyya, 19, Abdullah Abu Diab, 18, Mohannad Eid, 17, Abboud Al-Ja’bary, 16, Hammoud Al-Khatib, and Mahmoud At-Teruaqy.

They were taken to a police station and were placed under interrogation allegedly for throwing stones and fireworks at the army, and at surveillance cameras.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded Al-Ezariyya town and searched several homes before kidnapping Palestinians, including Mohammad Hasan Matar, a Fateh official in Jerusalem.

The kidnapped have been identified as Sami Abu Ghalya, Khaled Hasan Khalaf, Sobhy Hasan Khalaf, Ala’ Al-Yaseeny, Jihad Al-Yaseeny, Ammar Al-Emwasy, Mohammad Al-Mikhel, Nidal Al-Asmar, Haroun Abu Roomy, Nasser Al-Asmar, Omar An-Nawafla, and Hazem Odwan.

Soldiers also broke into and searched the home of Al-Ezariyya Local Council, Sufian Naim Bassa.
Furthermore, several military jeeps invaded Abu Dis town, before the soldiers broke into homes and kidnapped four residents identified as Abdullah Abu Hilal, Mahmoud Erekat, Ali Sa’id Qablawy, and Hamza Ayyad.

Clashes have been reported in Abu Dis and Al-Ezariyya, and the army fired dozens of gas bombs, concussion grenades, and rubber-coated metal bullets.

The Israeli army claimed that a pipe bomb was also hurled at a military jeep behind the Annexation Wall in Abu Dis, causing no damage or injuries.

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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli police detained 29 Palestinians in raids across East Jerusalem early Thursday, local officials said.

Israeli troops clashed with Palestinians in Abu Dis and Eizariya towns during arrest raids on the towns. Israeli forces fired tear gas, sound grenades and plastic-coated bullets at residents, Eizariya council spokesman Osama Jaber told Ma'an.

Israeli forces detained 13 Palestinians in raids on homes in Eizariya, Jaber said. He identified those detained as Fatah official Mohammad Matar, Sami Abu Ghalyeh, Khaled Khalaf, Subhi Khalaf, Alaa al-Yasini, Jawad al-Yasini, Ammar al-Imwasi, Mohammad al-Mkahal, Nidal al-Asmar, Haroun Abu Romi, Nasser al-Asmar, Omar al-Nawafleh and Hazim Odwan.

Jaber said police entered the homes of Ahmad Basseh, Hamzeh Abu Zyad, and Jamil Abu Zyad and ordered them to turn themselves in for interrogation by Friday morning, threatening to detain their sons.

Forces also raided Mayor Sufian Basseh's home and ransacked it, Jaber added.

In Abu Dis, police detained Abdullah Abu Hilal, Mahmud Erikat, Ali Qablawi, and Hamzeh Ayad, Jaber said. They ransacked the homes of Mohammad Nawafleh and Yousef Nawafleh.

In response to the raid, locals threw a home-made explosive device at Israeli forces stationed behind Israel's wall, Jaber said.

Twelve Palestinian teenagers and young men were arrested from their homes in the al-Sadiyeh neighborhood of Jerusalem's Old City. Police broke the doors of several homes in the raids and stayed in the area until 5 a.m.

A Ma'an correspondent said police arrested 13-year-old Issa Mteb, Aboud al-Jabari, 16, Muhanad Eid, 17, Abdullah Abu Diab 18, Hamoudeh al-Baytouni, 19, Mohammad Halawani, 19, Alaa Makieh,19, Maher al-Baytouni, 20, Mahmud al-Khatib, 20, Mohammad Ghousheh, 21, Anas Afghani, 21, and Mahmud al-Tiryaki.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said some arrests were made in the last 24 hours but could not immediately say how many.

He said the arrests involved suspects directly involved in "a number of incidents that have taken place over the last couple of weeks," including petrol bombs and rock throwing.

Eizariya council denounced the arrest sweep and urged the international human rights organizations to intervene to secure the detainees' release.

In a statement, the council also called on the international community to end Israeli violations in the towns, where Israel is confiscating land, demolishing homes and expanding Jewish settlements.
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