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NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained five Palestinian young men in separate incidents late Thursday, locals and a spokeswoman for the Israeli army told Ma'an.

Locals said that the Israeli forces raided three houses in the Nablus district village of Beita, detaining three Palestinians: Omar Hilal, 19; Wasim Jihad Labib Nasser, 17; and Yousef Mohammad Abed al-Aziz Afana, 20.

The Israeli soldiers damaged the doors of Fatah leader Ziyad Hilal's house, locals added.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army confirmed the arrests, saying that the three youths were "suspected for involvement in illegal activity."

She could not confirm whether or not they were still in Israeli custody.

In the Hebron district, meanwhile, Israeli soldiers interrupted a funeral in Beit Ummar and clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli forces, a local official said.

Mohammad Ayyad Awad, spokesman of the popular committee against the wall and settlements in Beit Ummar, told Ma'an that Israeli soldiers provoked Palestinians at the funeral, filming the event.

Palestinians threw stones and empty bottles and Israeli forces fired tear-gas grenades, sound bombs and rubber bullets, Awad said. Two Palestinians were hit by rubber bullets and dozens suffered from tear-gas inhalation, he said.

Israeli forces detained two Palestinian teens, 19-year-old Ahmad Aref Qasem al-Raei and 16-year-old Mohammad Jaber Mohammad Slaiebi, Awad added, saying that the soldiers physically assaulted them.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army confirmed that Israeli forces arrested two young men ages 16 and 19 and "directed them toward a police station."

She said that the teens were caught hurling rocks and that they lightly wounded an Israeli soldier.
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