Israeli forces Friday overnight detained at least four Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank, according to local and security sources.
They said that Israeli forces rounded up a journalist while he was crossing the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem. The journalist was identified as a resident of Awarta, southeast of Nablus.
Israeli police also detained a 14-year-old teen from Salah Eddin Street in Jerusalem. The detainee was identified as a resident of Anata town, northeast of the city.
In Ramallah district, the sources confirmed a military raid in Bil‘in village, west of the city, resulting in the detention of another.
The raid triggered confrontations with the soldiers opening fire towards villagers’ houses. No injuries were reported though.
In the northern West Bank, the heavily-armed soldiers re-arrested a former prisoner and ransacked his house in ‘Allar town, north of Tulkarm.
In Jericho district, several military vehicles stormed az-Zubaidat village, north of the city, where the soldiers showed up at two houses, including a Fatah activist’s, muscled inside and conducted a thorough search, turning them upside down.
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)