Description

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 12 Palestinians, including a minor, during overnight raids between Saturday and Sunday across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

In the northern West Bank, Israeli forces detained Amina al-Ghalban, 24, the wife of Palestinian prisoner Abed al-Ghalban, from the Qalqiliya district, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). Her husband was detained several weeks ago from their home in Qalqiliya city, local sources said.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed that one Palestinian was detained in Qalqiliya city.

In the central West Bank, Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in al-Jalazun refugee camp in the Ramallah district, three of whom were identified as Ibrahim Abu Kharma, Muhammad Ramadan Elayyan, and Karam Makhlouf Nakhla, who have been accused of carrying out an attempted drive-by shooting at the entrance of Israel’s illegal Beit El settlement on Saturday night.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed four detentions in al-Jalazun.

PPS reported that Said Najim and Abdullah Najim were detain in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem.

Further south, in the Bethlehem district, three Palestinians were detained. Local sources reported that Ahmad Ali Issa, 15, was detained from the village of al-Khader, while Muhammad Mousa Ghayatha, 25, was detained in Nahhalin.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the detention in al-Khader, and noted an additional detention in the village of Tuqu.

In the Hebron district, local sources reported that Alaa Anwar al-Balawi, 22, was detained from the village of Beit Ummar. While al-Balawi is from al-Duheisha refugee camp near the city of Bethlehem, he was visiting his grandparent’s house in Beit Ummar at the time, locals said.

Hebrew media noted that al-Balawi was detained over allegations of “incitement” against the Israeli state.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the detention in Beit Ummar, and added that another Palestinian was detained in the Hebron-area village of Sair.

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

Prisoners' rights group Addameer estimated that 6,128 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of July, including 450 without charge or trial and 320 minors.

Features