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Israeli forces take position during a demonstration on May 15, 2014, at the Qalandia military checkpoint in the West Bank. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli, File)
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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained 26 Palestinians throughout the West Bank overnight Wednesday amid an ongoing crackdown by Israeli authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that all 26 were detained for "illegal activity."

Locals identified detainees from the city of Hebron as Abd al-Rahman Fawzi al-Haddad, Muhammad Abd al-Afu al-Imla, Muhammad Ahmad al-Said, and Sharif Nasser Sabri al-Haymuni.
In the nearby town of Beit Ummar, spokesperson of a local popular committee said that Israeli forces detained Hamzeh Ayman Muhammad Neim Abu Ayyash, 17, Amir Ibrahim Khalid Sabarneh, 22, and Malik Fahmi Abd al-Hamid Zaaqiq, 18.

The Israeli army spokesperson confirmed nine detained from areas around Hebron, eight from areas surrounding Nablus, four detained near Ramallah, and five around Bethlehem,

October has seen record numbers of detentions since June 2014, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as Israeli authorities respond to increasing attacks and tensions in the area through methods that critics argue are collective punishment.

Since the beginning of the month, 32 Palestinians have been shot dead, 17 of whom were killed during clashes, with more than a thousand injured. Meanwhile, Palestinians have been responsible for the deaths of seven Israelis killed during the same time period, with dozens more injured in various attacks.

An Israeli police statement released Thursday reported that more than 200 Palestinians have been detained during the last two weeks on charges including stone throwing, throwing Molotov cocktails, and carrying a knife.

The Palestinian Authority Committee for Prisoners' Affairs meanwhile said Saturday that Israeli forces have detained up to 650 Palestinians since the beginning of October, most of them younger than 20 years old.

The committee said in a statement that most of the Palestinians were detained during clashes with Israeli soldiers, or subsequently in overnight raids on the pretext of resisting Israeli soldiers.

According to the statement, many Palestinians had reported being held for hours at interrogation centers, undergoing humiliation and maltreatment. Some prisoners said that they were violently beaten during their detention.
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by IMEMC News

The Israeli military invaded various parts of the West Bank Wednesday night, abducting 26 Palestinians from their homes. Since the beginning of October, more than 650 Palestinians have been abducted and imprisoned, according to prisoner rights groups.

The military invaded Nablus and surrounding villages after midnight Wednesday night, abducting eight. In addition, nine Palestinians were abducted in raids in the Hebron area.

In Bethlehem, five young men were abducted, and four were snatched from their beds in Ramallah. None of those abducted have been identified at this point.

The Palestinian Authority's Committee for Prisoner Affairs reported this week that a record 650 Palestinians have been abducted by Israeli troops in the past three weeks -- this is the highest number in a single month since June 2014, when protests filled the streets of Jerusalem following the burning to death of a young Palestinian boy by right-wing Israelis.

Israeli police report that they have detained over 200 Palestinians since October 1st. But Palestinian groups put the number much higher. Many of those imprisoned have been detained without charges or trial, and have had no opportunity to see a lawyer to represent them.

According to the Prisoners' Committee, most of those imprisoned in the past month are 20 years old are younger, and many of them are minors who are being held illegally in adult facilities.

On Wednesday, a 30-year old Palestinian prisoner died in custody when he was denied medical treatment after suffering a stroke. It is still unknown what caused the young man to suffer a stroke.

Some of the Palestinian detainees who were abducted during the past three weeks have reported being interrogated, humiliated and beaten by Israeli prison guards, intelligence agents and soldiers.

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