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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 16 Palestinians during overnight raids carried out between Wednesday and Thursday across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.

In the northern West Bank, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that Israeli forces detained three Palestinians from the town of Shweika in the Tulkarem district.

In Nablus, the spokesperson said that two Palestinians were detained from Ein Beit al-Mai refugee camp and the village of Beita, while another Palestinian was detained in the Madama village for allegedly being a Hamas operative.

She added that two Palestinians were detained in Qalqiliya city, one of whom she said was an alleged Hamas operative.

Palestinian sources did not provide additional information on these detentions.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided the villages of al-Zawiya and Qarawat Bani Hassan in the district of Salfit.

Azmi Shqeir, a local from al-Zawiya, told Ma’an that Israeli forces had raided several areas in the village and searched homes. Abd al-Salam Shqeir, Sari Salim Shqeir, and Nabil Mutlaq Shqeir were identified as some of those who had their homes raided by Israeli forces.

Israeli forces allegedly ransacked the homes, destroying furniture, during the raids and interrogated children, women, and the elderly for more than two hours, according to Azmi.

Abd al-Salam Shqeir said that Israeli forces raided his home at 1 a.m., and proceeded to search and destroy his furniture with “clubs” and other weapons. He added that Israeli forces also searched through a steel structure outside used to hold sheep.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Marie, a local from Qarawat Bani Hassan, said that several Israeli patrols raided the village late on Wednesday, and patrolled the village for several hours before leaving. He said they did not raid or search any houses.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that one Palestinian was detained in Qarawat Bani Hassan.

She added that one Palestinian was also detained from the village of Abwein in the Ramallah district in the central West Bank.

According to Israeli sources, Israeli forces had sealed two blacksmith workshops in the town of al-Ram in the West Bank’s Jerusalem district for allegedly manufacturing weapons.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that two Palestinians were detained in al-Ram, while two more were also detained in the town of Abu Dis in the Jerusalem district.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were detained during violent Israeli raids in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that six Palestinians sustained bruises and suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation during a raid targeting the home of Muhammad al-Abbasi in the area of Ein al-Luza, during which residents said they were assaulted by Israeli police officers.

The center added that no reason was given for the raid on the al-Abbasi home, during which Israeli forces pushed and pepper-sprayed women, children, and elderly Palestinians, and pointed their weapons at youth.

Clashes erupted in the neighborhood following the home raid, during which Israeli forces reportedly fired rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades in a haphazard fashion, before detaining Muhammad Ibrahim Ruweidi, 20, and Muhammad Imad Taha, 19.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement on Wednesday that an Israeli police officer was “lightly injured” in Silwan “when responding to (an) incident,” adding that “two suspects” were detained at the scene.

Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with a weekly average of 95 search and detention raids carried out over the course 2016, according to UN documentation.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, there were 6,200 Palestinians in Israeli prisons as of May, including 300 minors.
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by IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers invaded, on Thursday at dawn, Shweika area, in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, searched homes, and car repair workshops, violently searched them and abducted three Palestinians. The soldiers also invaded homes near Salfit.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Nasri Wasfi Abu Aisha, 35, Khader Adnan Obeid, 32, and Amjad Bassam Bahti, 42.

The soldiers also invaded several car repair facilities in the al-J’aroun area, west of Shweika, after detonating their doors, and conducted extensive searches, leading to property damage.

In related news, dozens of soldiers invaded Palestinian homes in Zawiya town, in Salfit governorate, in the central West Bank, before storming and ransacking many homes, and interrogated many residents while inspecting their ID cards.

Local sources identified owners of some of the invaded homes as Abdul-Salam Shqeir, and his sons, in addition to Sari Salim Shqeir and Nabil Sahqqour.

The soldiers interrogated many Palestinians, especially seniors, women and children, for more than two hours, the sources added.

Resident Abdul-Salam Shqeir said the soldiers caused excessive damage to his home, especially by smashing property using their batons, in addition to searching the family’s barn, also leading to damage.

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