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Photo:
Scene. Published by Maan News
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HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained five Palestinians on Monday near the Hebron -area town of Beit Ummar in the southern occupied West Bank, while the five were attempting to extinguish a fire.

Local activists Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that the five Palestinians were attempting to extinguish a fire close to the nearby illegal Israeli Gush Etzion settlement when they were detained by Israeli forces.

Awad identified the detainees as Beit Ummar residents Ghazi Ahmad Adi, 35, Omar Muhammad Abed al-Hamid Ekhlayil, 28, and Jamal Nayef Badir Adi, 25. The two others, whose identities remained unknown, were from the nearby town of Surif.

The five were taken to the Etzion detention center.

An Israeli army spokesperson said they were looking into reports.

While it remained unclear as to what caused the fire, and the exact proximity of the fire to the settlement, clashes had erupted earlier in the day in Beit Ummar, as Israeli forces raided the area and closed the northern entrance to the town.

In response to a request for comment at the time of the clashes, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that "Palestinians ignited rubber tires and hurled rocks at forces who used crowd control measures," and that no injuries were reported.