Israeli Army Detains Palestinians, Ransacks Homes during Raids in Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces detained at least three Palestinians, delivered interrogation summons to others, and ransacked several homes during raids across the occupied West Bank, according to local Palestinian and Israeli army sources.

News ID: 425673

Date: 11 December 2016 - 15:28

RNA - Local sources said that Israeli forces raided the Southern occupied West Bank town of Dura, West of Hebron city, and ransacked several homes before detaining Munir Abu Sharar, Ma'an reported.

North of Dura in the town of Beit Ummar, local activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad  said that Israeli forces stormed the Irq al-Lattoun neighborhood in Northern Beit Ummar and ransacked the home of Ahmad Mahmoud Khmayyis.

The soldiers then delivered interrogation summons to Khmayyis' sons Muhammad, 38, and Murad 35. The two were ordered to show at Israel’s Gush Etzion interrogation center for questioning by Israeli intelligence for unspecified reasons.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed to Ma’an one detention from Dura, and added that two other Palestinians were detained from the occupied West Bank. The spokesperson cited one from the central Ramallah district’s al-Amari refugee camp, and one from the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqu.

The spokesperson said they would look into reports of Israeli forces ransacking homes during the Dura and Beit Ummar raids, as well as the delivery of interrogation summons to Muhammad and Murad Khmayyis.

Israeli forces conduct night raids across the occupied Palestinian territory on a near-daily basis. According to UN documentation, the Israeli army carried out 252 military detention raids between Nov. 15 and Nov. 28.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons as of October. The organization estimates that 40 percent of Palestinian men have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.

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