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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 15 Palestinians and seized a number of weapons in predawn raids across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

In the night's largest raid, Israeli forces detained eight Palestinians from the town of Beit Fajjar in southern Bethlehem after ransacking their homes.

The detainees were identified as Aziz Jabir Dereiya, 29, Abdullah Salem Thawabta, 29, Nasser Muhammad Thawabta, 22, Nabeel Ibrahim Thawabta, 22, Rami Mousa Thawabta, 24, Muhammad Taha Taqatqa, 20, Hamza Amer Taqatqa, 16.

Israeli forces also detained 19-year-old Ahmad Mahmoud al-Sheikh from Marah Rabah in southern Bethlehem.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed nine detentions in Bethlehem and said that Israeli forces also detained one Palestinian from Tulkarem district, two from Nablus, two from Qalqiliya, and one from Ramallah.

She said that one Palestinian in Nablus and another in Ramallah were "Hamas operatives," while the others were detained for "illegal activity."

She added that a small weapons cache comprising one M16 rifle, one pistol, and ammunition had been discovered in the village of Artah in Tulkarem.

Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Palestinians since a wave of unrest swept the occupied Palestinian territory at the beginning of October.

Palestinian prisoners' rights group Addameer estimated in December that Israel was holding 6,800 political prisoners, including 470 child prisoners.
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by IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli soldiers have kidnapped, late at night and on Monday at dawn, at least 21 Palestinians, in military invasions targeting various communities in different parts of the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said dozens of soldiers invaded Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, searched many homes and kidnapped nine Palestinians.

They have been identified Hamza Amer Taqatqa, 17, Mohammad Taha Taqatqa, 20, Aziz Ali Taqatqa, 31, Rami Mousa Thawabta, 24, Nabil Mohammad Thawabta, 20, Eyad Sami Thawabta, 21, Nasr Mohammad Thawabta, 24, and Abdullah Salem Thawabta, 29.

The soldiers also kidnapped Ahmad Mansour Sheikh, 19, from Marah Rabah town.

In addition, the army invaded various communities in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, and kidnapped four Palestinians identified as Mohammad Jamil al-Khdour, 20, Mohammad Khalil al-Azza, 20, Ayesh Nasser Ekhlayyel, 20, and Mohammad Anwar Abu Hussein, 20.

Furthermore, the soldiers kidnapped three Palestinians, identified as Samer Kamel Qash, Mohammad Ali Azayza, and Ahmad No’man Awwad, in the northern West Bank district of Jenin. Awwad was also shot before the soldiers abducted him.

In Ramallah, the soldiers kidnapped Aseed al-Banna, Mohammad Mahmoud Rayyan, 23, and Mahmoud Waleed Daoud, 23.

Two more Palestinians, identified as Mohannad Ibrahim Ramadan and Mohammad Ibrahim Ramadan, were also kidnapped by the army in Tal town, in the northern West Bank district of Nablus.

In related news, the Israeli police said it detained 60 Palestinians workers for "entering the country without permits," and moved them to several police and detention centers.

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