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NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 31 Palestinian during raids in the occupied West Bank overnight Wednesday, local and Israeli sources told Ma'an.

An Israeli army spokesperson said Israeli forces detained 14 Palestinians in the northern occupied West Bank district of Qalqilya during night raids in the district.

At least six of those detained were relatives of 22-year-old Bashar Masalha, who was shot dead on Tuesday after he stabbed and killed an American tourist and injured at least nine other Israelis in a string of attacks near the coastal Israeli city of Jaffa.

Israeli forces blockaded Masalha's hometown of Hajja village on Tuesday and residents have seen frequent raids and clashes due to Israel's military presence in the village.

An Israeli army spokesperson said four Palestinians were detained in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus.

Locals identified three of the detainees as Salah Omar al-Jawhari, Ahmad Issam Faqih and Asem Fathi Faqih.

In the northern Jenin District, Israeli forces raided the villages of Qabatiya and al-Araqa, detaining six.

Three of those detained in Qabatiya were identified as Muhammad Jamal Hanaysheh, Muhammad Omar Sabaaneh and Muhammad Alawneh.

In al-Araqa village, Israeli forces detained a man identified as Akrama Abdullah Nayif.

In the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, another six were detained, an Israeli army spokesperson said.

Locals identified five of the detainees as Yaqoub al-Zaarir, Muhammad Hussein Abu Hadid, Nasr Hussein Abu Hadid, Hajj Abu Maher al-Badawi and Khalid al-Jundi.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed one detention in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah.

Locals identified the detainee as 17-year-old Muhammad Omar Nakhleh from al-Jalazun refugee camp.

In the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem, locals said Israeli forces detained a Palestinian identified as Youssef Naim Ghneim. One detention in the district was confirmed by an Israeli army spokesperson.

Nearly 7,000 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons and up to 40 percent of the male population has been detained at some point in their lives, according to prisoners’ rights group Addameer.

Israel has come under heavy criticism in the past for its use of arbitrary detention among Palestinians living under military occupation, in contravention of international law.
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by IMEMC News

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported that Israeli soldiers have kidnapped, late at night and on Thursday morning, 33 Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, and that the arrests were mainly focused in the West Bank district of Qalqilia, Nablus and Hebron. Among the kidnapped are a father and his four sons.

In Qalqilia, in the northern part of the West Bank, the soldiers stormed the towns of Azzoun, and Hajja, and kidnapped eleven Palestinians, identified as Ward Adwan, 22, Sa’id Farouq Abu Haniyya, 22, Yahya Mohammad Abu Haniyya, 20, Abdul-Hafith Ali Adwan, 22, Mustafa Sufian ar-Reyashi, 19, all from Azzoun, in addition to Mohammad Abdul-Qader Masalha, 55, and his sons, Tha’er, Ala, Baha’ and Rabea, (24-30 years of age,) and Fahd Wael Masalha, 23.

In Jenin district, in the northern part of the West Bank, the soldiers kidnapped Ahmad Bilal Nazzal, Mohammad Jamal Hanaisha, Mohammad Maher ‘Alawna, Mohammad Omar Saba’na, and Yazan Eyad Hanaisha, all from Qabatia town, in addition to Ekrema Ali Yahya, from al-‘Arqa village, and Shaher Mahmoud Hamarsha from Ya’bad town.

In Nablus districts, also in the northern part of the West Bank, the soldiers kidnapped ‘Aqeel Issam Faraj and his brother Ahmad, in addition to ‘Aahed Husam Faraj and Assem Fathi Faraj, all from Iraq-Burin town, and Omar Salah al-Jawhari, from Nablus.

In Hebron district, in the southern part of the West Bank, the soldiers kidnapped Mohammad, 30, and his brother, Nasr Abu Hadeed, 23, Fadi Mohammad Shawar, Yacoub Khalil Za’areer, 35, from the Sammoa’ town, in addition to Khaled al-Jondi from Yatta town.

In Bethlehem, the soldiers kidnapped Yousef Naim Ghneim, from the al-Khader town, while Mohammad Omar Musleh, 17, was kidnapped in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and Ashraf al-Karaki, 17, from ar-Ram town, northeast of Jerusalem.

Two Palestinians, identified as Ibrahim Sa’id Shawwa, 24, and Ibrahim Ka’abna, were kidnapped in Jericho district.

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli police and army have kidnapped, overnight, 60 Palestinian workers for what Israeli sources claimed “entering Israel to work without permits.”

25 of the detained workers were detained in the northern part of the country, 15 in the coastal area and the rest were taken prisoner in the Negev.

The police have detained and imprisoned more than 250 Palestinian workers in the past few days, the PPS said.

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