Nablus: Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday evening abducted a Palestinian from the Askar refugee camp, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to security sources. They said that special forces sneaked their way into a barbershop in the refugee camp and abducted a young man.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the occupation forces also raided the Umm Sharayet neighborhood in Al-Bireh City for the third time within less than 24 hours, leading to confrontations. Additionally, they entered the Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem, for the second time within the same period, where they fired tear gas canisters at houses and stores, although no casualties were reported.
In the predawn and morning hours, the occupation forces detained at least 16 Palestinians in multiple raids across the occupied West Bank. In the Bethlehem governorate, a man was detained, and another was severely beaten in al-Maniya Wilderness. In the Hebron governorate, six Palestinians were detained and several houses were ransacked in Idhna town. A raid in Beit Ummar town led to the detention of three individuals, including a former prisoner and two brothers, as well as the confiscation of a vehicle.
In al-Bireh, a predawn raid in al-Amari refugee camp resulted in the detention of two Palestinians. In Beitunia City, west of Ramallah, another Palestinian was detained, and his family's house was searched. In Nablus, a convoy of army vehicles stormed the Askar refugee camp, besieging a house as drones hovered above, resulting in the detention of three Palestinians.
The occupation forces frequently conduct raids across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for 'wanted' Palestinians, often triggering clashes. These raids are conducted without search warrants, as the military possesses sweeping powers, allowing such actions at any time or place.
Under Israeli military law, army commanders wield full authority over the 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, with Palestinians having no input in this governance. According to the latest figures from Addameer, there are currently 10,100 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons, including 400 child prisoners and 35 female prisoners. This number includes approximately 3,577 under 'administrative detention', allowing imprisonment without charge or trial.
Mass arrests are a long-standing issue, with over 800,000 Palestinians having been imprisoned or detained by Israel over the past 50 years, a figure now believed to be closer to 1 million. This equates to about 40% of Palestinian men and boys under military occupation having been deprived of their freedom, affecting nearly every Palestinian family.