Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli forces launched a wide-scale predawn detention campaign across the occupied Palestinian territory on Tuesday, detaining at least 21 Palestinians including local leaders of the Hamas movement, locals and Palestinian security sources said.
In the village of Deir Istiya in the northern West Bank district of Salfit, Israeli troops raided and detained one Palestinian. Locals told Palestinian (Ma’an) news agency that Israeli forces thoroughly ransacked his house, damaging its interior before they handcuffed him and took him into custody.
Meanwhile, Palestinian security sources confirmed that Israeli forces detained two local Hamas leaders from the northern occupied West Bank. They were detained in the village of Jaba in Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camp.
The sources added that Israeli forces detained one Palestinian in Beit Rima village in the central West Bank district of Ramallah.
In the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, Israeli forces detained five Palestinians from al-Arrub refugee camp, the village of Surif, Dura, and Beit Ummar, Palestinian sources said.
In occupied East Jerusalem, locals said Israeli forces detained two Palestinians in Jabal Al-Mukabbir neighborhood and two others in Al-Issawiya.
One more Palestinian was detained in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, and in the Hizma neighborhood, Israeli forces detained five, Palestinian sources said.
Israeli troops also stormed the campus of al-Quds University in the village of Abu Dis in occupied East Jerusalem, damaging property. Locals said Israeli forces detained one Palestinian in Abu Dis.
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that three Palestinian were detained in Hebron, two in the Tulkarem district, one in Qalqiliya, nine in Ramallah, and six in the Bethlehem area, all for "illegal activities".
Since the beginning of 2016, Israeli forces have carried out a weekly average of 92 search and detention operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, according to The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Israel is currently holding 7,000 Palestinians in its jails, according to prisoners' rights organization Addameer.
QNA
