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Photo:
Police arrest a Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem, last year. Credit: Olivieh Fitoussi Published by Haaretz
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by IMEMC News

Dozens of Israeli soldiers surrounded, late at night, the al-‘Eesawiyya town, in occupied Jerusalem, and conducted massive invasions and searches of homes, throughout the night until dawn hours, and kidnapped 25 Palestinians, including 18 children.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) in Jerusalem, said the soldiers closed all roads leading to the town, and prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it, while a military helicopter hovered overhead.

The soldiers then started an extensive military campaign targeting dozens of homes throughout the town, as the soldiers broke into them and violently searched them, causing excessive property damage, before kidnapping 25 Palestinians, and summoning dozens for interrogation.

All kidnapped Palestinians were moved to the al-Maskobiyya interrogation center and the police station in Salaheddin Street, in Jerusalem.

They have been identified as;

Mohammad Abed Ateyya, 15.
Ali Amjad Ali Ateyya, 15.
Hussein Abed Darweesh, 15.
Ahmad Yousef ‘Obeid, 15.
Yazan Khaled Ne’aji, 15.
Odai Ali Dirbas, 14.
Mohammad Thaer Suleiman, 15.
Firas Mahmoud, 17.
Ahmad Jamjoum, 13.
Mahmoud Hijazi, 14.
Mohammad Khaled Mahmoud, 12.
Ahmad Ateyya, 19.
Bashar Mahmoud, 17.
Ahmad Mahmoud, 13.
Yassin Sobeh, 21.
Daoud Ateyya, 17.
Monatser Jaber, 17.
Ahmad Abu Khalaf, 13.
Amir Mohammad Dari, 32.
Mousa Darweesh, 21.
Mahmoud Dirbas, 21.
Mo’tasem Abu Ryala, 23.
Khaled Mahmoud, 27.
Wadea Abu al-Hummus, 22.
Mahmoud Fayez Mahmoud, 22.

In addition, the soldiers summoned at least 20 Palestinians for interrogation and confiscated two cars belonging to a family in the town.

The soldiers distributed leaflets warning more severe measures, invasions, abductions and closures, “should the incitement continues,” according to the statement.

Al-‘Eesawiyya has been subject to daily invasions, an issue that leads to ongoing clashes between the soldiers and dozens of local youths.

The invasions also include photographing homes, stores and other property, and addition to delivering demolition orders against homes.
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by Jack Khoury for Haaretz

Israel Police Arrest Dozens in Issawiya Raids, Termed an 'Intimidation Campaign' by Palestinian Residents

Flier disseminated in East Jerusalem neighborhood warns parents to keep children away from incitement which 'could lead to their death or arrest.' Police: Suspects in serious offenses were arrested.

A large contingent of police and tax inspectors has been sweeping the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya since Tuesday, making dozens of arrests and confiscating cars in what residents claim is a campaign of intimidation and deterrence.

Over the past six months, many terror attacks have been perpetrated by Issawiya residents.

In an unusual step, a proclamation in Arabic has been posted throughout Issawiya urging parents to keep track of their children. The flier is signed by “Captain Sabri,” who is in charge of security for that area.

“The village has recently been under a wave of serious incitement spearheaded by the Hamas movement in order to influence your children and incite them to perpetrate attacks and disturb the peace and interfere with the security forces, which is liable to lead, heaven forbid, to their death or arrest,” the flier read. “Harsh steps have recently been taken against village residents, like sealing the house of Fadi Alloun, deporting the Abu Rajab family to the West Bank and arresting a village resident named Mohannad Mahmoud for 11 months because of his activity on social media.”

Alloun stabbed an Israeli teenager in October, and was shot down by police. Fuad Abu Rajab shot and seriously wounded two policemen in March.

“Upon examination, it turns out there are other young people in the village who have joined together like bats, who incite and call for separatism in order to undermine the village’s stability,” the flier continued. “I urge and encourage you, dear parents, to monitor your children’s conduct and monitor their Facebook account and prevent them from watching the Al-Aqsa channel and its content, which incites to violence.” Al-Aqsa is Hamas’ television station.

Sabri concluded by saying that he “works day and night ... to ensure the wellbeing of both Jewish and Arab residents and prevent bloodshed.”

Issawiya residents said the flier has been accompanied by a large-scale police operation that resulted in many arrests and a large-scale tax collection operation that resulted in the confiscation of many residents’ cars.

“This is an attempt to intimidate the village and its residents and show who’s in control; there is no other explanation,” charged Mohammed Abu al-Homs, a member of Issawiya’s local council. He said that aside from those arrested, who included some minors, police had summoned “tens of people” for questioning.

The Jerusalem police said the Issawiya operation was planned on the basis of case files, efforts to map out crime, and intelligence gathering. The goal is to arrest people suspected of serious crimes like involvement in terror or illegal weapons possession, and who therefore constitute a danger to the public.

It said that so far, 31 people have been arrested and another 18 summoned for questioning. In addition, Palestinians who were in Jerusalem illegally have been deported to the West Bank and those suspected of housing them have been summoned for questioning.
During the sweep, a pipe bomb went off near the Issawiya mosque, but caused no casualties, police added.

The Jerusalem Police department said that the operation was launched after careful planning, and was meant to apprehend suspects in serious offenses such as rioting, terrorism and illegally carrying firearms. These offenses pose a risk to public safety and harm the residents' quality of living, the police said.

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