JENIN, Tuesday, May 12, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli forces today detained 33 Palestinians in multiple raids across the West Bank, said the Palestine Prisoner’s Society.
The Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS) confirmed in a press release that Israeli forces conducted a predawn raid into Ya‘bad town, west of Jenin city, resulting in the detention of four Palestinians, including two brothers.
An Israeli soldier was killed by a rock dropped on his head during the predawn raid that triggered violent confrontations in the town. He was identified as a 21-year-old member of the Golani Brigade Reconnaissance Unit.
Following the killing of the soldier, Israeli troops re-raided the town is search of the person who dropped the rock.
PPS added that ransacked several houses in the town, interrogated residents and rounded up 12 others, including two families; a couple with their daughter and grandchild besides to another couple with three of their children.
In Jerusalem district, undercover Israeli forces, known as Musta‘ribeen, ambushed and detained 13 Palestinians in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
PPS confirmed a similar overnight military raid in Abu Dis town, east of Jerusalem, resulting in the detention of two others.
In Ramallah district, soldiers re-detained a Palestinian after ransacking his family house in Silwad town, east of Ramallah city.
PPS added that another was rounded up from the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
PPS held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the detainees’ fate, particularly following the novel coronavirus spread.
The raids came amidst increasing tensions between Israel and the Palestinians over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost on a daily basis across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids, which take place also in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.
K.F.
