RAMALLAH, February 18, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Tuesday detained 30 Palestinians in multiple raids across the occupied West Bank, according to security and local sources.
They said that Israeli occupying forces rounded up six Palestinians from Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate.
Two of the six detainees were identified as villagers of al-Lubban al-Gharbi village, another as a resident of Silwad town, another as a villager of Rammun enrolled in Birzeit University, and two others as villagers of Bitillu.
In the northern West Bank, Israeli occupation forces detained four Palestinians, including two minors, from the city of Jenin.
In the Qalqiliya governorate, the occupying forces detained three Palestinians from Azzun town and ransacked their houses, turning them upside down.
In the Nablus governorate, the gun-toting soldiers showed up at a house on As-Sikka Street in the city, muscled inside, conducted a thorough search, stole jewelry, and rounded up an occupant after beating up his son and mother.
The sources confirmed a raid in Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, resulting in the detention of another.
In the Tulkarm governorate, a convoy of army vehicles stormed Anabta town, where the soldiers rounded up a resident.
In the Jerusalem governorate, an Israeli army force showed up at a house in al-Issawiya town, in the predawn hours, and detained two minors.
In the Jordan Valley, Israeli forces detained three residents of Ras Ein al-Auja community, north of Jericho, simultaneously while they protected colonists who attacked the community, as confirmed by Hasan Mleihat, the General Supervisor of the Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights.
In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces rounded up four Palestinians, including two teens, aged 16 and 17, from the city of Bethlehem and three others from the Dheisheh refugee camp, south of the city.
Meanwhile, Badi‘ Dweik, an activist, confirmed that Israeli soldiers this evening showed up at his house in the Jabal al-Rahma neighborhood of Hebron, and detained his son.
The sources confirmed a similar raid in Idhna town, west of Hebron, resulting in the detention of another Palestinian.
The 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 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 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 365 child prisoners and 15 female prisoners.
This number includes approximately 3,369 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.
