Israeli forces detain Palestinian from Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Israeli occupation forces Tuesday evening detained a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to local sources. They said that the occupation forces rounded up a man from the vicinity of Bab al-Khalil, one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. In the predawn hours of Tuesday, the occupation forces conducted multiple raids across the West Bank, detaining at least 25 Palestinians. Israeli occupation 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. Palestini ans have no say in how this authority is exercised. According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 10,100 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 270 children and 95 female prisoners. This number includes 3,398 Palestinians placed under 'administrative detention', that allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable intervals ranging between three and six months based on undisclosed evidence that even a detainee's lawyer is barred from viewing. Mass arrest of Palestinians is nothing new. According to a 2017 report by Addameer, over the past 50 years, more than 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained by Israel, this figure is now believed to be closer to 1 million. This means that about 40% of Palestinian men and boys living under military occupation have been deprived of their freedom. Almost every Palestinian family has suffered the impriso nment of a loved one. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA