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Hebron scene: published by Maan
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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least six Palestinians in and near the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, including two young boys who were released after several hours.

Israeli forces detained two children -- identified as Bakr Mahmoud Ali Najajreh, 13, and Abeer Youssef Makhamreh, 10 -- around noon on Saturday while they were herding sheep in the Janba area near Yatta.

The two boys were released on Saturday evening after the Palestinian military liaison interceded on their behalf.

Meanwhile, locals told Ma'an that Israeli soldiers detained Rami Izzat Qindahi, 19, from Ramallah at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron, after Israeli forces claimed he was in possession of a knife.

Qindahi was then transferred to the Israeli intelligence services for interrogation.

Local sources also told Ma’an that three other Palestinians were detained in the al-Jabari neighborhood of Hebron for allegedly being in possession of a gun.

They were reportedly taken to Kiryat Arba police station for interrogation.

Israeli security forces didn’t have immediate information on any of the cases.

According to prisoners' rights organization Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were detained by Israel as of February, including 406 minors.

More than 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since October. Israel says the majority were shot dead while attempting to carry out attacks, although international rights groups have disputed Israel's version of events in several cases.

The attacks that have taken place -- mostly by politically unaffiliated Palestinian individuals armed only with knives -- have killed nearly 30 Israelis.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last month it was "human nature" for Palestinians to react violently to Israel's nearly 50-year military occupation, as he urged a change in Israeli policy in the occupied Palestinian territory.

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