Israel detains 37 more Palestinians in the West Bank

Published June 23rd, 2014 - 10:15 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Israeli military forces detained 37 Palestinians overnight Sunday in the occupied West Bank as a search operation launched to find three missing Israelis continued for the 11th day.

Israeli soldiers carried out house-to-house inspections in Nablus and Balata refugee camp and detained Salih Saadi al-Amir, Taha Salous, Ahmad al-Tanbour, Abd al-Rahman al-Bishtawi, and Amir Ishtayya, locals said.

In Bethlehem, Israeli forces confiscated computers and surveillance cameras from a money changing shop and damaged a safe while trying to open it.

Israeli forces also raided four money changers in Hebron, confiscating all computers and security cameras.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said 37 Palestinians were detained overnight as Israeli forces raided 80 locations, focusing on northwest Hebron, Jenin and Beit Awwa.

Soldiers also raided seven Hamas-affiliated charities, she added.

A large-scale military operation was launched by Israel 10 days ago after three Israelis went missing in the occupied West Bank.

Under the pretext of searching for the missing teenagers, Israeli forces have detained 471 Palestinians, including 11 parliamentarians, in over 400 targeted raids on homes, civil society institutions, universities and media outlets, according to the PLO.

Israeli forces have also severely restricted the movement of Palestinians, with temporary closures at the main north-south Container checkpoint and a lock-down on the Hebron district, home to over 600,000 Palestinians.

Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians while conducting arrest operations, including two men shot dead on Sunday.

Israel accuses Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teenagers from Gush Etzion settlement near Bethlehem.

So far, there has been no claim of responsibility and no sign of the missing youngsters, although Israeli military spokesman General Motti Almoz said on Sunday that all information indicated they "are alive."

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