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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained a Palestinian child at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday for having a "fruit knife" on his person after being searched by Israeli forces.

Locals said that Israeli soldiers detained Ahmad Idriss Ghaith, 12, at the Israeli Abu al-Rish checkpoint for having a “fruit knife” in his possession.

An Israeli police spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Scores of Palestinians have been detained in previous months for alleged possession of knives, with a concentration of detentions at military checkpoints around the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Palestinians have often expressed fear over routine detentions, particularly of Palestinian youth, for allegedly having sharp objects on their persons after being searched by Israeli forces. A knife and even something as innocuous as a house key can be considered as a potential weapon for an attack, according to Palestinians who have been detained and interrogated by Israel forces for such incidents.