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Scene. Published by Maan News
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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities continued to enforce a strict crackdown on the Issawiya neighborhood, in the central occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, for the fifth consecutive day, on Tuesday, with Palestinians saying they have been subjected to “collective punishment” through road closures, arbitrary searches, and mass detentions.

Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, member of a local follow-up committee, said that Israeli forces constantly raided Issawiya for five consecutive days and set up checkpoints at its entrances.

Abu al-Hummus added that Israeli forces set up the checkpoints since predawn hours and conducted extensive searches of Palestinian-owned vehicles and buses.

In addition, Israeli forces also checked ID cards of Palestinian drivers and carried out background checks.

Israeli forces also detained five Palestinian youths after breaking into their homes. However, their identity remained unknown.

Palestinian areas in occupied East Jerusalem have seen an influx of Israeli settlers at the cost of home demolitions, the eviction of Palestinian families, as well as a heightened presence of Israeli forces and discriminatory policing.

Issawiya is commonly subjected to police raids and restrictions on freedom of movement for local Palestinians in the form of roadblocks and arbitrary searches. Due to the aggressive nature of the raids, local youth sometimes throw rocks or Molotov cocktails at police.