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Abd al-Jalil al-Abed, left, Omar al-Abed, right. Published by Maan News
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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 33 Palestinians during overnight raids between Tuesday and Wednesday across the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.

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.

Northern West Bank

In the Jenin district, Israeli forces detained one Palestinian from the village of Yaabad, according to an Israeli army spokesperson.

In the Nablus district, Israeli forces detained two Palestinians from Nablus City, according to local sources.

Locals said that Muhammad Wajih Qatt, 28, was detained by Israeli soldiers from the Madama town in southern Nablus while, Qutaiba Abd al-Karim Azem, 26, was detained from the village of Sabastiya in northwestern Nablus.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed to Ma’an that one Palestinian was detained from Madama, and one from Sabastiya.

In the Tulkarem district, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). PPS identified the three detainees as Ahmad Muhammad Bashir al-Jayyusi, 26, and Bakr Muhammad Salim Khreiwish, 27, from the Tulkarem refugee camp, and Ashraf Abed al-Hafez Khalid Thaher, 26, from the village of Iktaba.

The Israeli army mentioned no detentions in Tulkarem.

In the Qalqiliya-area village of Azzun, Israeli forces searched more than thirty houses, according to locals, and detained eight Palestinians.

The eight were identified as as Ali Husam Sweidan, Bahaa Samir Shilo, Abd al-Aziz Farid Hussein, Yahiya Qaher Abu Haniyeh, Abd al-Aziz Qaher Abu Haniyeh, Othman Samir Shilo, Nidal Shaker Radwan and Mustafa Sufiyan Riyashi.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed only six detentions in Azzun.

Central West Bank

In the Ramallah-area, Israeli forces raided the village of Kobar, sparking clashes with locals that left 15 Palestinians injured, some with live fire.

Israeli forces, according to locals, detained a total of five Palestinians.

Two of the detainees were arrested from their homes, and were identified as Abd al-Jalil al-Abed and Ibrahim al-Abed, the father and uncle of 19-year-old Omar al-Abed, who was shot and detained by Israeli forces last month after he stabbed and killed three Israeli settlers in the nearby illegal Halamish settlement.

Southern West Bank

In the Bethlehem-area al-Duheisha refugee camp, two Palestinians were detained after they were shot and injured by Israeli forces during a raid on the camp.

In the Tuqu town in southeastern Bethlehem, Israeli forces detained five Palestinians after raiding and searching their homes.

The detainees were identified by locals as Thib Muhammad al-Umour, 43, his son Mahmoud, 15, Nizar Khalil al-Umour, 16, Mahmoud Ziyad al-Umour, 15, and Amir Wahid al-Umour, 15.

Witnesses added that clashes erupted between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces during the raid, and that no injuries were reported.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed five detentions in Tuqu.

Meanwhile, an Israeli police spokesperson said in a statement that the Israeli police, border guards and Shin Bet -- Israel’s internal intelligence agency -- forces raided the al-Azzeh refugee camp in Bethlehem City, and captured “many military equipments and other items suspected to be stolen, including military uniforms and shoes.”

Al-Samri added that “large amounts of arms and an airsoft gun, made to resemble an M16 gun, and several Molotov cocktails” were seized. She said that no one was detained and that investigations were still ongoing.

In the Hebron district, local sources told Ma’an that Israeli forces detained four Palestinians, including a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Hebron City’s Chief of Police.

Local and security sources told Ma’an that Israeli forces detained PFLP leader Badran Jaber after raiding and searching his home in Hebron City.

Hebron’s Police Chief Major Nasser Maswadi was also detained from his home in Hebron City, with sources adding that Israeli forces had raided Maswadi’s house several times since the beginning of the week.

Israeli forces also detained Amjad Salhab and Youssef Halayqa from the al-Shuyoukh town in northeastern Hebron.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that four Palestinians were detained from Hebron city, and that one was detained from the town of Yatta. She made no mention of detentions in al-Shuyoukh.
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2 Palestinians, Israeli soldier injured during al-Duheisha refugee camp raid

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinians were shot and injured during a predawn raid on Wednesday by Israeli forces on the al-Duheisha refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Locals identified the two injured as Raed al-Salhi and Aziz Arafeh, adding that al-Salhi was critically injured while Arafeh was injured in the leg and in stable condition.

The two were detained by Israeli forces and taken to the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem for treatment.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that during a raid to detain two Palestinians, “the suspects attempted to flee the area,” at which point Israeli army soldiers began a foot pursuit after the Palestinians.

“During the pursuit, soldiers opened fire towards the suspects, injuring them. They were treated at the scene and then evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that an Israeli soldier was “accidentally shot and injured” during the pursuit

Hebrew-language media reported that the injured Israeli soldier sustained moderate wounds, and was transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided several houses in the camp, adding that clashes erupted during the raid, during which Israeli forces fired live bullets and tear gas at youths who threw rocks.

Last month, 18-year-old Baraa Hamamda, a resident of al-Duheisha, succumbed to wounds sustained in his upper body during an Israeli army raid in the camp.

Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Due to the typically aggressive nature of the raids, clashes often erupt between local Palestinian youth who throw stones and are met in response with live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets, and tear gas, often resulting in serious, sometimes fatal, injuries.

Rights groups have routinely condemned Israeli authorities for their use of excessive force against Palestinians, particularly in refugee camps, during incidents that did not warrant a violent response.
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15 Palestinians injured, 5 detained during Israeli raid on Kobar

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Fifteen Palestinians were injured with live and rubber-coated steel bullets while tens of others suffered from severe tear gas inhalation during clashes with Israeli forces that erupted before dawn on Wednesday in the village of Kobar, northeast of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces raided Kobar and closed the two main entrances to the village with dirt mounds and rocks, and installed flying checkpoints, preventing Palestinians from leaving or entering the village, according to locals.

Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian youth who attempted to prevent Israeli soldiers from raiding the house of Palestinian prisoner Omar al-Abed, 19, who was detained last month after he stabbed and killed three Israeli settlers from the nearby illegal Halamish settlement.

Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces “assaulted the youths,” raided and ransacked al-Abed’s house, damaged the furniture, and detained the teenager’s father and uncle.

Witnesses added that Israeli forces heavily fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and tear gas at youths who threw rocks at soldiers.

Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances transferred the injured Palestinian youths to Ramallah-area hospitals through a road of the neighboring village of Burham.

During the clashes, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians, identified by locals as Yasser al-Abed, Basil al-Fahed, and Muhannad Shalash.

Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces have been imposing near-constant closures on the village ever since al-Abed carried out the stabbing attack last month.

Since the attack, Israeli forces have kept the two main entrances closed, despite locals saying that they have repeatedly removed the dirt mounds and rocks used to block the roads.

An Israeli army spokesperson only confirmed two detentions from Kobar, and said they would look into reports of the clashes.

Israeli forces have routinely been criticized by Palestinian leaders and rights groups for the use of “excessive force” and live ammunition during raids and clashes with Palestinians, during incidents that did not warrant a violent response.

In the wake of the Halamish stabbing, Israeli forces imposed a series of punitive measures on the family of the attacker, 19-year-old Omar al-Abed, and the residents of Kobar, temporarily sealing the village, detaining the al-Abed's brother and mother, and raiding the local health clinic.

The Israeli government has long faced criticism for its response to attacks, with rights groups saying severe security measures amount to collective punishment and a violation of international law.

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