RAMALLAH, Israeli forces Wednesday evening through Thursday overnight detained at least 11 Palestinians and assaulted others in various parts of the West Bank, according to security and local sources.
Israeli police raided the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah for the second consecutive night as Palestinians and activists protested the forcible eviction and dispossession of 40 Palestinians, including 10 children, from their homes in the neighborhood to replace them with an entirely Jewish settlers.
Police officers barged their way into the house of al-Kurd family, assaulted people inside and showered them with tear gas canisters.
They also attempted to push back protestors using stun grenades and skunk water, and physically assaulted residents and solidarity activists.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society medics provided treatment to 22 Palestinians who sustained injuries, including eight who suffocated from tear gas, six others who were hit by live ammunition, two others who were brutally beaten up, three others injured by concussion grenades and another who was affected by pepper-spray.
While in the neighborhood, the police rounded up seven Palestinians; five residents of the neighborhood, a resident of the Silwan neighborhood in addition to a Palestinian citizen of Israel from al-Tira.
Meanwhile, a sizable Israeli military force barged its way into Silwad town, east of Ramallah city, where they ransacked several houses and rounded up two Palestinians, including Muntasir Shalabi, 44, a residents of Turmus Ayya, whom Israel accuses of carrying out a drive-by shooting attack several days ago.
In the northern West Bank, Israeli military vehicles stormed Tubas city, where soldiers rounded up two others, as confirmed by Director of the Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS) Office, Kamal Bani-Odeh.
Soldiers also forced their way into Qiffin town, north of Tulkarm, where they seized the recordings of surveillance cameras of a local petrol station and searched an aluminum workshop. No detentions were made though.
Israeli forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost on a daily basis across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids, which take place also 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.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency