SALFIT, May 8, 2014 – (WAFA) – Israeli forces stormed Thursday Qarawat Bani Hassan, a town located in the West Bank governorate of Salfit, and detained several people for hours, according to local sources.

Forces stormed Qarawat Bani Hassan, located seven kilometers northwest of Salfit, where they launched a large-scale arrest campaign, detaining and interrogating 10 people for several hours before releasing them.

To be noted, the town is a home of approximately 4,000 people (or 2,800 according to 2007 census). Approximately 91% of the town’s land is classified as Area C, and they fall, accordingly, under complete Israeli control while the remaining 9% is classified as Area B, and accordingly, fall under the civil administration of the Palestinian Authority and security control of Israel.

According to the town profile published on the Applied Institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ), the town has been governed by a Municipal Council consisting of 11 members appointed by the Palestinian Authority.

Agriculture has been the main source of livelihood for the residents; 40% of the town’s workforce is working in agricultural sector. However, two illegal Israeli settlements, namely Barqan and Qiryat Netafim, were land seized from the town residents and large tracts of land from the town has been also confiscated to build a by-pass road no. 505 and bypass road section no. 5.

Furthermore, the section of the segregation and expansion wall planned to be constructed of the town’s land will confiscate and isolate thousands of dunums of mainly fertile land.

K.F./T.R.