News / Palestine

Israeli forces arrest over dozen Palestinians across West Bank

Monday, 04 January 2016 11:18 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 04 January 2016 11:19 AM ]

Israeli border guards detain a Palestinian protester lying on the stretcher during clashes at the main entrance of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem on December 8, 2015. (AFP photo)

Israeli military forces have reportedly arrested more than a dozen Palestinians during separate overnight operations across the occupied West Bank.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israeli military vehicles rolled into Far'a refugee camp, located 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, early on Monday, Arabic-language Safa news agency reported.

The Israeli troops broke into dozens of homes and violently searched them, causing excessive property damage, before detaining six young Palestinians.

Violence also broke out in the camp as local residents engaged in clashes with Israeli troopers. Israeli forces fired stun grenades as well as tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. There was no immediate report of casualties.

Elsewhere in the town of Tell, located five kilometers (three miles) southwest of Nablus, Israeli forces raided a number of houses and ransacked them. They later arrested two Palestinians identified as Majd Bilal Mohammed Saleh Ashtiyyah, 20, and 27-year-old Samir Abdul Rahman Mohammed Zeidan.

Israeli forces stand guard as members of the Palestinian Red Crescent (not seen) give medical aid to an injured Palestinian woman near the al-Shuhada street in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on December 20, 2015. (AFP photo)

Additionally, Israeli forces stormed several houses in Madama village in northern West Bank and questioned their residents. No reports of arrest were available.

Activist Mohammed Awad also said five young Palestinians were arrested in the town of Beit Ummar, located eleven kilometers (6.8 miles) northwest of al-Khalil (Hebron) on Monday morning.

The latest wave of tensions was triggered by Israel’s imposition in August of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.

The restrictions have enraged Palestinians, who are also angry at increasing violence by Israeli settlers frequently storming the al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Palestinians say the Tel Aviv regime seeks to change the status quo of the compound.

More than 140 Palestinians, including children and women, have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces since the beginning of last October.

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