Description

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

[Monday October 21, 2013] Palestinian medical sources have reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped five Palestinians near Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, and two in the Northern Plains area of the West Bank.

Local sources have reported that dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded Bani Neim town, east of Hebron, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped five Palestinians.

The sources said that the five have been identified as Khaled and his brother ‘Ala’ Lahlouh, Khalil Ismael Manasra, Ahmad Qassem Manasra, and Mohammad Jamil Manasra.

Soldiers also installed a roadblock at the Halhoul Bridge, stopped and searched dozens of vehicles, and interrogated several residents while inspecting their ID cards.

Furthermore, dozens of soldiers invaded Ein Al-Hilwa area, north of the West Bank’s Northern Plains area, and kidnapped two Palestinian youths.

Aref Daraghma, head of the Wadi Al-Maleh Local council, has reported that the soldiers kidnapped two Palestinians identified as Jasser Qadry and Hilal Adel.

He added that Israeli settlers have attacked the two, adding that the soldiers kidnapped the two as they tried to escape the attack against them.

Furthermore, a group of extremist settlers attacked several shepherds in the area, and forced them out of grazing lands while threatening to shoot them.

Earlier on Monday, soldiers invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and kidnapped one resident.

On Sunday, soldiers kidnapped three Palestinians in Bethlehem, and the Deheisha refugee camp, south of the city.

_______

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided the West Bank village of Bani Naim early Monday morning and detained two young teenagers, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said Monday.

Palestinian Prisoners' Society said that Israeli forces carried out raids overnight across the southern West Bank district of Hebron and detained five Palestinians in total.

According to the family of the detainees, around 2.30 a.m. a large Israeli military force surrounded the Manasrah family home in Bani Naim and raided the property, causing damage to the doors. The Israeli forces then forced the family to evacuate the house and then carried out an extensive inspection of the entire house.

Israeli forces subsequently detained Mohammad Jamil Mohammad Manasrah, 13, and Ahmad Mahmud Manasrah, 13, and took them to Kiryat Arba settlement.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said that Israeli authorities are responsible for the lives of the two boys, and that they should release them immediately.

In separate raids in southern Hebron, Israeli forces detained Khalid al-Hjouj, Allah al-Hjouj, and Khalil Ismael Manasrah and took them to an unknown location.

The raids in Hebron bring the total number of Palestinians detained overnight to 10, including five across the northern West Bank.

An Israeli army spokesman contacted for comment said that the Israeli police had carried out detentions, but a police spokesman contacted did not have any information on the raids.

Hebron is a frequent site of clashes due to the presence of 500 Israeli settlers in the Old City, many of whom have illegally occupied Palestinian houses and forcibly removed the original inhabitants.

They are protected by thousands of Israeli forces. Settlers and Israeli forces regularly target local Palestinians for harassment, and many have been forced from their homes as a result.

The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.

Features