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Photo:
Scene. Published by Maan News

Israeli soldiers seizing electronic material from the office.. Published by Maan News
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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained five Palestinian municipal inspectors in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday afternoon, locals said.

Hebron residents told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the inspectors’ office in southern Hebron City and detained the head of the office, Rabah Abu Sneineh, as well as inspectors Muhammad Ghazi Abu Sneineh, Aziz Abu Afifeh, Ubeida Abu Hussein, and Khader Abu Sneineh.

Another inspector, identified as Khamis Abu Sneineh, was also detained but was released shortly afterwards.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that they were looking into the reports.

Israeli forces had raided the office last week, confiscated some material and ordered that the office be shut down.

Some 30 civilian municipal inspectors, whose job is to maintain calm and security in southern Hebron, work at the office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority Hebron governorate.

Palestinian residents Hebron, especially in the Old City, face a large Israeli military presence on a daily basis, with scores of permanent and partial checkpoints set up at the entrances of many streets.

Some 6,500 Palestinians and 800 notoriously aggressive Israeli settlers live in the Old City of Hebron under heavy military protection according to a 2016 report by legal rights NGO BADIL.

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