Israeli forces detain 34 Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli forces Wednesday detained at least 34 Palestinians, including a 12 and 17-year-old, during predawn military raids throughout the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Israeli forces carry out detention raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-nightly basis, with the UN recording an average of 95 weekly raids in the West Bank in 2016.According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were detained in Israeli prisons as of October 2016.

Jerusalem and Ramallah districts

In the central occupied West Bank, Israeli forces detained five Palestinians from the Jerusalem district, identified by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) as Youssef Mahdi Dar Sheikh, 12, from the village of Biddu; Malik Muhammad Hmeid, Ahmad Bakr Rabie, and Mubin Muhammad Ibrahim Jumhur from Beit Annan; and Mustafa Ahmad Hamed, 17, from Anata in eastern Jerusalem.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed to Ma’an two detentions in Beit Annan and another in Biddu.

In the Ramallah and al-Bireh districts, Israeli forces detained six Palestinians, according to PPS.

PPS identified Nidal al-Rimawi and Hakim Mahmoud al-Rimawi from the town of Beit Rima, and Bassem Said al-Barghouthi from Deir Ghassana village. Marwan Mahmoud Abu Salem, 20, Tareq Hashem Radi, 18, and Samer Riyad Radi, 18, were also detained from the village of al-Lubban al-GharbiAn Israeli army spokesperson did not mention any detentions in Ramallah and al-Bireh.Bethlehem and Hebron.

PPS said in their statement that one Palestinian was detained from the village of al-Khader in the Bethlehem district, identified as Ibrahim Suleiman Sbeih, while Nidal Andonieh, and his son Amir were detained from Bethlehem city.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an News Agency that one Palestinian was detained in Bethlehem.

Meanwhile, in the southern Hebron district, Israeli forces detained at least two Palestinian men and confiscated equipment from a blacksmith workshop during overnight military raids.Locals told Ma’an that Israeli forces raided the village of Dura and detained Izziddin Jamil al-Titi from his home.

Israeli forces also raided the village of Sair, detaining Suhaib Hussein Jaradat.The wife of Palestinian journalist and hunger striker Muhammad al-Qiq was delivered an interrogation summon with Israeli intelligence during the raid, according to locals. Al-Qiq was redetained by Israeli forces earlier this month after participating in a protest in Bethlehem city held to demand the release of bodies of slain Palestinians held in Israeli custody.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided the village of Surif and sealed a Palestinian-owned blacksmith workshop after confiscating equipment.

An Israeli army spokesperson said that two additional detentions were carried out in the al-Fawwar refugee camp in Hebron. Palestinian sources did not provide details on the detentions.

Northern West Bank

In the Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern district of Tulkarem, Israeli forces detained six Palestinians, identified by PPS as Ali Khayri Abu Salah, Raji Jamal Ghreifi, Ramez Abed al-Hakim Elayyan, Muhammad Adib Ghreifi, Muhammad Ahmad al-Azzeh, and Ali Amin Abu al-Rub.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed five detentions in Nur Shams.In Qalqiliya, an Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that four Palestinians were detained. Palestinian sources did not provide additional information.

Meanwhile, according to PPS, Israeli forces detained two former Palestinian prisoners in the Jenin district, identified as Saddam Muhammad Yassin from Anin village and Ismail al-Kilani from the village of Yabad.An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that three Palestinians were detained in Jenin. However, Palestinian sources did not provide information on the third detention.