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Wasim Nayif Obeid and his wife, Ibtisam, 35. Published by Maan News
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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained a Palestinian woman and her husband after raiding their home in al-Issawiya neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, on Tuesday.

Muhammad Abu al-Hummos, a member of a local follow-up committee in al-Issawiya, said that Israeli forces raided the neighborhood after midnight on Tuesday.

Abu al-Hummos added that Israeli forces surrounded the home of Wasim Nayif Obeid and ambushed him; Israeli forces broke into his home and detained Obeid and his wife.

According to Obeid, Israeli forces raided his home and detained him and his wife, Ibtisam, 35, and transferred them to the Salah al-Din police station, interrogated Obeid about his wife's illegal presence in East Jerusalem as she is a holder of a Palestinian ID card.

Obeid added that he was released after several hours of interrogation, while his wife was transferred to the Ofer Israeli prison, on charges of "illegally entering and living in Jerusalem."

Israeli forces had previously removed Ibtisam Obeid from her East Jerusalem home in March 2017, after being held for several hours at a detention center and later released at a checkpoint outside the borders of Jerusalem.

Obeid mentioned that he and his wife have been married for 16 years and have three children.

He continued to point out that Ibtisam had attempted to obtain an Israeli citizenship or at least a temporary permit, which has to be renewed every 6-12 months, to be allowed residency in Jerusalem, but her request was rejected under the pretext of "security purposes."

Many Palestinians in East Jerusalem, who hold a Palestinian citizenship, have been applying for Israeli citizenship in hopes of easing travel and residency rights.