HEBRON, July 11, 2018 (WAFA) – Israeli forces detained on Wednesday 19 Palestinians, including a university lecturer, as they conducted multiple overnight raids across the West Bank, said the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS).
Israeli forces detained nine Palestinians, including six former prisoners, during a raid that triggered clashes in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron city.
Mohammad Awad, a local activist, said that soldiers broke into several homes during the raid, destroying furniture and doors and trashing food supplies.
He added that soldiers opened fire towards youths who protested the raid and attempted to block their passage, injuring a protestor by a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg and causing dozens others to suffocate.
Soldiers posted notices threatening people of severe punishment if they continue to resist the occupation.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians during separate raids across Nablus district, including Kufr Qalil village and Qusra town, east and south of the city.
One of the detainees was identified as Ghassan Thouqan, 61, a lecturer at Najah National University in Nablus city.
Soldiers ransacked Thouqan’s home in the city, seized around 11,000 Israeli shekels (app. $3000) as well as his mobile phones before detaining him. They also raided Thouqan’s printing shop, al-Manahel, located near Balata refugee camp.
An Israeli military court later remanded Thouqan, who had spent a total of 10 years in Israeli jails mainly in administrative detention, in custody for five days. He was also barred from seeing a lawyer, according to the PPS.
Three Palestinians were also detained from the northern West Bank district of Jenin.
One of them was detained at Zatara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, while another was detained after being stopped at a flying checkpoint near Haddad Tourism Village, southeast of Jenin.
PPS said that three others were detained from Qalqiliya district. Among them was a former prisoner who was beaten up before being detained during a predawn raid into Azzun town, east of Qalqiliya.
Another Palestinian was detained from Beitunia town, west of Ramallah city.
K.F./M.K.
