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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained at least eight Palestinians during predawn raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to locals.

In the northern West Bank district of Nablus, locals reported that three Palestinians were detained. They were identified as Jihad and Muhammad Mreish and Mahdi al-Akka.

Israeli forces detained three Palestinian from Tulkarem. They were identified as Hazem al-Ruji, Muayyad Balawneh and Nour al-Din al-Aruri.

In the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, Israeli forces raided the al-Khader town and detained a Palestinian identified as Guevara Ahmad Salah.

In the Hebron-area town of Beit Ummar, local activist Muhammad Awad told Ma’an that Israeli soldiers raided several homes and detained Muhammad Brighith Abed al-Hamid Brighith, 24, a former prisoner who spent two years in Israeli jails.

According to Awad, Brighith was transferred to the Etzion detention center north of Beit Ummar.

An Israeli army spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Israeli search and detention raids are a nightly occurrence in Palestinian cities, towns, and refugee camps across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to UN documentation, Israeli forces have carried out a bi weekly average of 185 raids in 2018, compared to an average of 120 in 2017.

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