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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained three Palestinians from the town of Beit Ummar and Hebron overnight Wednesday.

Spokesperson of a local popular committee in Beit Ummar, Muhammad Ayyad Awad, said that Israeli forces raided the town early Wednesday and detained two Palestinians after raiding their homes.

The two detainees were identified as Alaa Fahmi al-Zaaqiq, 33, and former prisoner Ismail Issa al-Sleibi, 30.

As of late march, more than 60 Palestinians had been detained in Beit Ummar by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2015, nearly half of whom were minors.

Israeli forces also detained a human rights activist identified as Ziad Muhammad al-Dweik, 46, as he was crossing the al-Shuhada street checkpoint.

Coordinator of his human rights group, Badie al-Dweik, said that Ziad was detained as "he was crossing the electronic checkpoint set up on the entrance of the al-Shuhada street going home to the Tal al-Rmeida neighborhood; soldiers told him to take off his belt, and when he refused he was assaulted and detained."

The al-Shuhada checkpoint guards a Jewish-only section of Hebron where Palestinian residents may enter only by foot. The majority of Palestinians living in the area have been driven out by Israeli settlers, and all Palestinian shops and homes on al-Shuhada street have been deserted.

An Israeli army spokeswoman told Ma'an three men were detained from the area for being Hamas operatives.

There were around 6,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails at the beginning of April, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, over 300 of which are being held under administrative detention.

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