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JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces arrested 21 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight and clashed with locals, sources said Wednesday.

In the Salfit district, Israeli forces detained ten Palestinians.

The Fatah movement said in a statement that six of its activists were arrested in Qarawat Bani Hassan in the district, saying they were detained for protest action during the recent Israeli assault on Gaza.

"Israeli forces, after the war on Gaza came to an end, started to target different West Bank neighborhoods and towns seeking to take revenge on activists who joined protests in support of the Gaza Strip," the statement said.

It identified the detainees as Jumaa Abd al-Raziq Rayyan, Jumaa Kanaan Rayyan, Wahbi Mufid Rayyan, Yusri Nafiz Rayyan, Hazim Yaqub Asi, and Khalil Azzam Asi.

Locals added that Israeli forces stormed the village of Deir Ballut in the Salfit district and detained Ahmad Abd al-Khaliq Rashid Mustafa, 26, his brother Wahib, 22, Yousef Shofan Yousef Mousa, 21, and Muhammad Said Theib Abu Kheir, 21.

Meanwhile, witnesses said an undercover Israeli squad raided the Conference Palace near Solomon's Pools south of Bethlehem and detained a security guard, Amir Sami Hajajra, 33.

Israeli forces also detained a university student, Khalil Ibrahim Uqeila, 22, at the Container Checkpoint between Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Separately, Israeli troops raided the Jenin-area town of Qabatia and detained Luay Ahmad Mustafa Sabaana, 21, and Yousef Ali Kamil, 25.

Israeli forces also stormed al-Fara refugee near Nablus and detained 25-year-old Zakariyya Mahmoud al-Abbadi after ransacking several homes, locals said.

The sources said clashes broke out between the soldiers and local youths in the camp. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades and Palestinians threw stones and Molotovs.

Clashes also took place in the town of Deir Abu Daif east of Jenin, with several residents suffering from excessive tear gas inhalation and another lightly injured after being hit by shrapnel from an Israeli stun grenade.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said 21 Palestinians were detained overnight -- two near Nablus, nine near Qalqiliya, five near Bethlehem, one in Ramallah, two in Hebron, and two "Hamas operatives" near Jenin.
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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli army has kidnapped on Wednesday, at dawn, at least Twenty Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, while two of the kidnapped have also been shot and injured by the invading soldiers.

Media sources in Tubas, in the central West Bank, have reported that the soldiers invaded the al-Far’a refugee camp, and kidnapped at least six Palestinians, including two who were shot by rubber-coated metal bullets.

The sources said that the soldiers invaded the refugee camp before breaking into and violently searching several homes, and kidnapping six Palestinians. The invasion led to clashes between the soldiers and local youth.

The soldiers took Zaki al-‘Abbadi, 26, and Yousef Wasfi Taha, who were shot by rubber-coated metal bullets, in addition to Haroun Farooq Abu al-Hasan, 16, Bilal ‘Oleyyan, 30, Hamza ‘Oleyyan, 27, Mohammad Rashid Abu al-Hasan, 16. A woman identified as Rania Malek Mobeh was briefly detained.

In the northern West Bank district of Jenin, the soldiers invaded Qabatia town, kidnapped two Palestinians and detained another resident at the Dotan roadblock, while many residents suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation in Deir Abu Da’if village.

Eyewitnesses said the soldiers kidnapped Lo’ay Mustafa Saba’na, 21, and Yousef Ali Kamil, 25, after breaking into their homes in Qabatia, and ransacking them.

In addition, soldiers stationed at the Dotan military roadblock, near Jenin, detained a Palestinian identified as ‘Ammar Taher ‘Amarna, and released him after briefly interrogating him.

In the Jenin district, a number of Israeli military vehicles invaded Deir Abu Da’if village, and fired several gas bombs, concussion grenades and rounds of live ammunition.

Furthermore, several armored military vehicles invaded Deir Ballout town, west of the Central West Bank city of Salfit, and abducted four Palestinians.

Head of the Deir Ballout local council Kamal Yousef told the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) that the soldiers invaded the town around three at dawn, broke into and ransacked several homes, and kidnapped four, including two brothers.

The kidnapped have been identified as Ahmad Abdul-Khaleq Mustafa, 26, Waheed Abdul-Khaleq Mustafa, 22, Yousef Shoufan Mousa, 21, and Mohammad Sa’id Abu al-Kheir, 21.

In Salfit district, the soldiers invaded Qarawat Bani Hassan village, violently broke into and searched several homes, and took six Palestinians, all members of the Fateh movement.

The Fateh movement in Salfit said the kidnapped Palestinians have been identified as Jom’a Abdul-Razeq Rayyan, Jom’a Kan’an Rayyan, Wahbi Mofid Rayyan, Yorsi Nafez Rayyan, Hazem Ya’coub ‘Aasi, and Khalil ‘Azzam ‘Aasi.

In the West Bank district of Bethlehem, undercover forces of the Israeli military infiltrated into the Conferences Palace near the Solomon Pools area, between al-Khader and Ertas town, south of Bethlehem, and kidnapped one employee identified as ‘Amer Sami Hajajra, 33.

In addition, soldiers also abducted a Palestinian from the ath-Thaheriyya town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, as he was crossing the Container roadblock east of occupied East Jerusalem.

The resident in question, Khalil Ibrahim Abu E’qeila, 22, was heading to the al-Quds University, in Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem.

The soldiers also installed roadblocks at northern entrances of Hebron city, and the entrances of Halhoul, Doura and Sa’ir nearby towns, before stopping dozens of cars and inspecting the ID cards of the passengers.

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