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Israeli forces raid Palestinian properties in Bethlehem. Credit:Israeli army
Published by Maan News
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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 16 Palestinians overnight Sunday in the occupied West Bank and Israel, Palestinian and Israeli sources said on Monday.

In the southern occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces detained Adal Ibrahim al-Tamari, 50, her 19-year-old daughter Ayatallah Shihadeh, and Muhannad Jaber, 20.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that four Palestinians had been detained overnight in Bethlehem, as well as one alleged Hamas operative in the Bethlehem-area village of al-Jabaa.

Israeli forces raided a number of Palestinian properties in Bethlehem and the neighboring village of al-Khader, during which locals said possessions were destroyed.

A statement by the Israeli army claimed that Israeli forces seized two guns, one of them handmade, explosive charges, and 130,000 shekels ($34,451) during raids in the Bethlehem neighborhood of Wadi Maali.

In the southern West Bank district of Hebron, Israeli forces reportedly detained Fayez Ibrahim Zyadat, 34, and Ali Mahmoud Rasheed, 32, from the village of Bani Naim, as well as Akram Yousif al-Fasisi, 28, in the village of Idhna, locals reported.

Israeli forces raided and searched two bookstores and a print shop in Bani Naim, in which they found “inciting” materials, the army statement said, which reportedly included hard drives, Fatah movement flags, and banners calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli army spokesperson confirmed to Ma’an one detention of an alleged member of Islamic Jihad in Idhna, and cited the detention of a “Hamas operative” in the village of Khursa.

Meanwhile, clashes reportedly broke out in the Hebron village of Beit Ummar, during which Israeli forces fired sound bombs and tear gas at Palestinians youths.

The Israeli army raided the house of activist Muhammad Awad in Beit Ummar, locals said, as well as the home of Arafat Issa Zaaqiq, the father of Omar Zaaqiq, who was killed by Israeli forces in November after carrying out a car ramming attack on Israeli soldiers, where they reportedly confiscated flags printed with Omar’s face.

Israeli soldiers delivered notices threatening the inhabitants of Beit Ummar with major consequences if they tried to throw stones or Molotov cocktails at soldiers and settlers in the area, claiming that the use of Molotov cocktails had increased recently.

In the northernmost West Bank district of Jenin, locals said that Israeli forces detained Abdullah Saleh Tahayna in the village of Zububa, as Israeli soldiers reportedly stopped cars traveling to and from of the village, searching them and interrogating passengers.

The soldiers also reportedly threatened to close the villages’ entrances, claiming that Palestinians from the village kept attacking Israeli army patrols in the area.

Palestinians Ibrahim Ali Abu al-Rab and Muhammad Fatla Abu al-Rab from the village of Qabatiya west of Jenin were also reportedly detained in Israel.

Local sources added that Israeli forces also raided the Nablus area, detaining Ahmad Talib Makawi, 19, in the Balata refugee camp, and Omar Imad Rayhan, 19, in the village of Tell.

Hamza Adeeb Khalaf, 25, was also reportedly detained from the village of Kafr Abbush in the Tulkarem district.

The army spokesperson did not confirm the detention in Kafr Abbush, but said two Palestinians were detained in Balata and one alleged Hamas operative in Tell.

Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with Israeli forces commonly detaining Palestinians without evidence of any wrongdoing.

According to UN documentation, Israeli forces conducted a total of 186 raids between Aug. 23 and Sep. 20, detaining 239 Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, some 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of August.

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