HEBRON, January 1, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces Wednesday detained at least 22 Palestinians from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to local and security sources.
They said that the occupation forces rounded up four Palestinians, including two brothers, in the course of a raid in Dora town, southwest of Hebron City.
Also in Hebron district, the occupation forces detained two others from Ash-Shuyoukh town, northeast of Hebron, and ransacked their houses, turning them upside down.
They also conducted a similar raid in Bani Naim town, east of Hebron, resulting in the detention of two others.
In the Salfit district, the occupation forces barged their way into Deir Istiya town, searched several houses and detained five residents, including two brothers.
They also conducted a raid in Hares town, northwest of Salfit, resulting in the detention of four others.
Meanwhile, a convoy of army vehicles and a bulldozer stormed Tammun town, southeast of Tubas, where the heavily armed soldiers detained five others; a father along with his two sons and two brothers.
The Israeli army force raided the town from the direction of the Hamra military checkpoint, at a time when surveillance drones hovered over the town and the sounds of gunfire could be heard in the town.
In the meantime, the occupation troops showed up at the houses of two brothers in Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, muscled inside and conducted thorough searches.
They conducted similar raids in al-Khader town as well as in the villages of Marah Rabah and Harmala, but none were detained.
Israeli occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids, which also take place 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.
According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 10,300 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centres, including 345 children and 89 female prisoners.
This number includes 3,428 Palestinians placed under “administrative detention”, which allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable intervals ranging between three and six months based on undisclosed evidence that even a detainee’s lawyer is barred from viewing.
The mass arrest of Palestinians is nothing new. According to a 2017 report by Addameer, over the past 50 years, more than 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained by Israel, this figure is now believed to be closer to 1 million. This means that about 40% of Palestinian men and boys living under military occupation have been deprived of their freedom. Almost every Palestinian family has suffered the imprisonment of a loved one.
K.F.
