Israeli forces Wednesday overnight detained 26 Palestinians in multiple raids across the West Bank, according to local and security sources.
They said that Israeli forces rounded up five Palestinians from the central West Bank district of Ramallah and al-Bireh.
One of the five detainees was identified as a resident of Beit Rima town, northwest of Ramallah, another as a formerly-detained university student from the city neighborhood of Ein Misbah, and three others as residents of Abu Mashaal village, northwest of the city.
In the northern West Bank, the military vehicles stormed Ya‘bad town, west of Jenin, where the soldiers detained five others, including a former prisoner.
They conducted a similar raid in Bir al-Basha village, southwest of the city, and re-arrested a former prisoner.
Elsewhere in the northern West Bank, heavily-armed soldiers barged their way into Kafr Qaddum town, east of Qalqiliya city, and detained four teens.
They detained another along with his nephew from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, and ransacked the houses of their families, turning them upside down.
In Jerusalem, police showed up at a house in al-Issawiya neighborhood, forcibly entered it, conducted a thorough search and ultimately detained another.
In the southern West Bank, the sources confirmed a raid in al-‘Ibayyat village, east of Bethlehem, resulting in the detention of four others, including two brothers.
Gun-toting soldiers forcibly entered a house in Husan village, west of the city, muscled inside and ultimately detained another.
Meanwhile, three residents of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, were detained after being stopped at Huwara military checkpoint, south of Nablus.
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 (WAFA)