RAMALLAH, Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Wednesday overnight detained 13 Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank, according to the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS).

PPS confirmed in a press release that Israeli forces rounded up five Palestinians, including a 16-year-old teen, in multiple raids across Bethlehem district.

One of the detainees was identified as a resident of the Bethlehem neighborhood of As-Saf, another as a resident of the Bethlehem neighborhood of al-Karkafeh, and the three others as residents of Tuqu‘ town, south of the city.

In the northern West Bank, PPS confirmed a military raid in the western neighborhood of Tulkarm city, resulting in the detention of a Palestinian.

Israeli soldiers conducted another raid in Deir al-Ghusun town, northeast of Tulkarm city, where they rounded up another.

Meanwhile, an Israeli military force barged its way into Qalqiliya city, where it detained two others after breaking into and ransacking their families’ houses.

PPS confirmed that four others were rounded up in raids across the West Bank districts of Nablus, Jericho and Jerusalem.

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.

Under Israeli military law army commanders have full executive, legislative and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

K.F.