RAMALLAH, September 8, 2011 (WAFA) – The Israeli army arrested an official of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) and four other Palestinians late Wednesday night and Thursday morning in the West Bank.

PPSF Politbureau Secretary-General, Awny Abu Ghawsh, was arrested while passing Atarah checkpoint near the city of Ramallah on Wednesday night, said a PPSF press release on Thursday.

In a related matter, the Israeli army arrested two Palestinians at dawn Thursday from Jaba, a village southwest of Jenin in the northern West Bank, after raiding their houses and ransacking their contents, according to security sources.

Israeli soldiers also raided former military camp Sanur near Jaba, put up a checkpoint at the village entrance and stopped Palestinian vehicles, inspecting passengers’ IDs.

The Israeli army also raided Al-Arqa, a village west of Jenin, and broke into a Palestinian house there.

In Kufr Qaddoum, a town east of Qalqilia in the northern West Bank, Israeli soldiers searched Palestinian houses and arrested two Palestinians during a raid of the village on Wednesday night.

The town has been regularly targeted by Israeli soldiers, in attempts to halt the Palestinian weekly march against closing down its main road nine years ago.

R.Q./F.J.