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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 20 Palestinians, including three minors, during overnight raids on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning throughout the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces conduct night raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-daily basis. According to UN documentation, the Israeli army carried out 185 military detention raids over the past two weeks.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of October. The organization estimates that 40 percent of Palestinian men have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.

Jerusalem district

In the West Bank’s Jerusalem district, Israeli forces detained six Palestinians in the neighborhood of Hizma, including two minors, whom the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) identified as Iyad Khader al-Khatib, 15, Abdullah Abd al-Rabbu al-Khatib, 20, Muhammad Fathi al-Khatib, 22, Muhammad Fadel al-Khatib, 24, Muhammad Rashid Salah al-Din, 17, and Muhammad Khalil Hamdallah, 20.

Israeli media reported that the detainees were transferred to the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, in order to undergo interrogations with Israeli intelligence.

Locals told Ma’an that Israeli soldiers reportedly raided and searched the homes of the six and distributed notices demanding that locals stop throwing rocks at the vehicles of Israeli settlers and army personnel.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed six detentions in Hizma.

Meanwhile, in the village of Biddu in the Jerusalem district, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians, one of whom was detained for being an alleged Hamas operative, according to an Israeli army spokesperson.

PPS also reported in their statement that Israeli forces detained Mustafa Baydun,15, and Muhammad Baydun, 19, from Jerusalem on Tuesday evening. However, the statement did not provide additional details on the detentions or where the Palestinians were specifically detained.

Bethlehem and Hebron districts

In the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that one Palestinian was detained in Beit Jala, identified by PPS as Shafiq Qweidar, 19. Israeli media reported that a hunting gun and ammunition were confiscated during the detention.
Meanwhile, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, Israeli forces detained at least seven Palestinians.

According to an Israeli army spokesperson, one Palestinian was detained in the village of Surif, and another in Deir Samit, identified by PPS as Ahmad Muhammad al-Hroub, while two more Palestinians were detained in Hebron city. The spokesperson told Ma’an that all were detained for being alleged Hamas operatives.

Meanwhile, locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces also raided the Al-Arrub refugee camp and detained Shadi Abu Afifeh, Muhammad Abu Sel, and Said Banat following military raids on several houses in the refugee camp.

PPS identified two more of the Palestinians detained in Hebron as Ahmad Muhammad al-Hroub and Yahya Muhammad Salhab.

Salfit, Tulkarem, and Qalqiliya districts

Meanwhile, Muhammad Aziz al-Fattash was detained from Salfit, according to PPS. An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that one Palestinian was detained in Salfit for being an alleged Hamas operative.

On Tuesday night, Israeli forces stormed a printing house in the village of al-Zawiya in Salfit, and damaged properties, the owners told Ma’an.

The owners of the printing house, called “World of Innovation,” explained to Ma’an that Israeli forces confiscated the main computer, and added that Israeli actions against the printing shop were “unjustified, childish behaviors based on trivial pretexts and excuses."

The owners added that they would be unable to provide services to their customers as a result of losing the data they had saved on the main computer confiscated by Israeli forces.

Two former prisoners from the Tulkarem district in the northern West Bank were detained during Israeli military raids, identified by PPS as Fakhri Haitham al-Shalabi, 27, and Raed Muhammad Salameh Sabri, 43. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed two detentions in Tulkarem, adding that one was detained from the Tulkarem refugee camp for alleged involvement with Hamas.

Israeli media also reported military raids in the city of Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, as Israeli forces reportedly confiscated thousands of Israeli shekels, claiming that the money would be spent in order to plan an attack. It remained unclear how Israeli soldiers confiscated the money or for what reasons Israeli soldiers believed the money would be used for an attack.

However, no detentions were reported in Qalqiliya.

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