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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained at least 17 Palestinians between Saturday night and Sunday morning in the occupied territory as well as inside Israel, including at least six minors and the brother of a teenager who was shot dead Saturday. At least three others were summoned to appear for interrogation.

The Israeli army confirmed to Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the town of Illar in the northern occupied West Bank district of Tulkarem and detained Tariq Ziad Zahran, 25, the brother of 17-year-old Qutayba Zahran, who was shot and killed by Israeli border police Saturday at a military checkpoint for allegedly attempting to stab Israeli soldiers.

Local sources cited by Palestinian Authority-owned Wafa news agency said that Israeli forces ransacked the Zahran family home before detaining Tariq.

Israeli forces routinely target family members of alleged and actual Palestinian attackers through detentions, home demolitions, the revocation of work and travel permits, and other punitive measures regarded as collective punishment by human rights groups.

Hours prior to Qutayba’s killing, the youth posted a will on his Facebook addressed to his family members that declared his intention to become a “martyr.” He asked forgiveness of his brothers, writing: “Be helpful to your mother and father and be patient and sacrifice me for God's reward. Be firm and support each other, and forgive me if I had ever erred against any of you."

Separately, in the the Jenin district, local sources told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the town of Bartaa, searched a gas station in the area, and installed military checkpoints at the several streets of the town, stopping each passing Palestinian and checking their IDs.

No detentions were reported.

An Israeli army spokesperson said they were looking into the raid of Bartaa to provide comment.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) reported that Israeli forces also detained a Palestinian, identified as Ibrahim Jumaa, from Qalqilya.

The Israeli army spokesperson said three Palestinians were detained in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah, one in al-Jalazun refugee camp, one in al-Amari refugee camp, and one in the town of Silwad.

PPS identified the three Ramallah-area detainees as 16-year-old Abed Misbah Muhammad, 25-year-old Rabi Mala al-Malhi, and 29-year-old Ahmad Mustafa Hamed. 

Meanwhile, local sources said that Israeli forces also detained a 15-year-old Palestinian girl on Saturday at Israel’s Qalandiya military checkpoint in the Ramallah district north of Jerusalem.

The girl was identified as Shahd Muhammad Abu Quek, the sister of Palestinian prisoner of Israel, Salem Abu Quek, from Qalandiya refugee camp. She is expected to appear for a court session later on Sunday.

The Israeli army told Ma’an they were looking into the case.

In the southern Bethlehem district, local sources told Ma’an that Israeli forces summoned 25-year-old Shadi Muhammad Badawna from the al-Jadawel neighborhood and 25-year-old Qutayba Issa Saleh from Wad Shahin area south of Bethlehem city to appear for interrogation at Israel’s Gush Etzion detention center.

Israeli forces also summoned former prisoner Ali Ahmad Sabarna from the town Beit Ummar north of Hebron for interrogation at Etzion, sources added.

The Israeli army spokesperson said that one Palestinian was also detained in the town of Beit Kahil in the Hebron district.

Meanwhile, in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli police forces detained at least nine Palestinians.

Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said that Israeli police detained four Palestinians, including three minors from the neighborhood of Issawiya for “participating in disturbance acts in the area over the past two weeks.” She said Israeli police would demand for the remand to be extended for further interrogation.

Local watchdog the Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that lawyer Muhamad Mahmoud identified the four detainees as 14-year-old Mahmoud Adeb Abu al-Humus, 15-year-old Muhammad Munther Atyeh, 16-year-old Muhammad Thaer Suliman, and Ali Hasan Muhisin.

The report also said that Israeli police forces raided the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Ras al-Amud and the Old City. In Ras al-Amud, 17-year-old Abed Jamal Maarja was detained, while Abada Najeb and Muhamad Abu Snineh were detained in the Old City.

Al-Samri also reported that two Palestinians from the occupied West Bank were detained in Jerusalem for lacking Israeli permits to be in the city.

She said that after Israeli police asked the driver of a suspicious vehicle to pull over for a search, the driver and an unspecified number of passengers got out of the vehicle fled on foot. Police were only able to apprehend two of them, while the others escaped.

Al-Samri said that the vehicle was stolen, and that Israeli police found an air rifle and other possessions that were suspected to be stolen inside the car.

Meanwhile, Israeli police detained a Palestinian from the northern occupied West Bank district of Tulkarem while he was in the city of Netanya in northern Israel on Saturday night on suspicion of planning stabbing attack.

According to al-Samri, the 21-year-old roused suspicions of police who searched him and found a knife in his possession. He allegedly confessed his intentions to carry out an attack under interrogation.

He is scheduled to appear before an Israeli magistrate’s court in Petah Tikva later on Sunday.

According to Palestinian prisoner’s rights group Addameer, there are some 6,128 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, including at least 320 minors and 62 women and girls.

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