Israeli forces detain 24 Palestinians, injure another in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, Israeli forces Thursday overnight and Wednesday late night detained 24 Palestinians and injured another in multiple raids across the West Bank, according to local and security sources.

They confirmed that heavily-armed Israeli police rounded up 14 Palestinians and ransacked several houses in Issawiya, which lies on the eastern slopes of Jerusalem.

Police blocked the main artery of the already congested neighborhood and opened indiscriminate fire towards local youths, as confirmed by the Wadi Hilweh Information Center.

The raid ignited confrontations, with local protestors throwing rocks and bundles of firebombs towards the police.

Still in Jerusalem, Israeli forces detained two others after ransacking their family house in the densely-populated refugee camp of Qalandia, north of Jerusalem.

The detainees were identified as the sons of Rubin ‘Abd al-Rahman Zayed, a 34-year-old employee of UNRWA.

‘Abd al-Rahman Zayed was killed by live ammunition in the chest by Israeli troops during an arrest raid on August 26, 2013, prompting Amnesty International, among other human rights organizations, to condemn the killing as “an extrajudicial execution in violation of international law” and call for an impartial and independent investigation into the incident.

In the southern West Bank, the sources confirmed a similar military raid in Surif town, northwest of Hebron, resulting in re-arresting four former prisoners.

In Bethlehem district, soldiers brutally assaulted a 17-year-old teen close to the colonial settlement of Maale Emmaus, encroaching upon the land of Kisan village, east of the city.

The casualty was rushed to a hospital in Beit Jala city for urgent treatment.

In the northern West Bank, soldiers re-arrested another former prisoner after storming his family house in Tubas city.

During the ensuing confrontations, the soldiers shot a young man by live ammunition in the knee, injuring him. The casualty was rushed to a hospital, where medics described his condition as moderate.

In Jenin district, Israeli soldiers showed up at a house in Silat al-Harithiya town, west of the city, where they detained another.

Meanwhile, soldiers forcibly entered a house in the western part of Nablus city, and detained another.

They rounded up another after ransacking his family house in ’Asira al-Qibliya village, southwest of the city.

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

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