Nablus: Israeli occupation forces detained 12 Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank on Monday, security and local sources reported. The detentions took place amid ongoing raids across the region.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, special occupation forces entered al-Masakin ash-Sha'biya neighborhood in Nablus on Monday evening and abducted two brothers. Earlier in the day, soldiers at al-Hamra checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley detained a 17-year-old from al-Far'a refugee camp, south of Tubas.
In the early hours of Monday, Israeli forces conducted multiple raids across the West Bank, detaining nine Palestinians. In Tulkarm governorate, three civilians were detained in Qiffin town following searches of their family homes. In Bethlehem City, raids in As-Saff and al-Karkafeh neighborhoods led to the detention of three civilians. In the Ramallah governorate, forces entered two homes in Jalazone refugee camp and detained two 15-year-old minors. They also detained a civilian and seized his vehicle in al-Mazra'a al-Gharbiya town.
The raids are part of frequent operations by Israeli forces across the West Bank, often leading to clashes with residents. These operations are conducted without search warrants, under sweeping powers granted to army commanders by Israeli military law. This law gives commanders full authority over the 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, without any input from the Palestinian population.
According to Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 9,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli facilities, including 350 children and 21 women. Of these, approximately 3,405 are held under 'administrative detention', a process that allows detention without charge or trial based on undisclosed evidence.
The mass detention of Palestinians has been a longstanding issue. Addameer's 2017 report indicated that over the past 50 years, more than 800,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel, a figure now approaching 1 million. This means about 40% of Palestinian men and boys have experienced imprisonment under military occupation, impacting nearly every Palestinian family.
