Jerusalem: Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday detained 14 Palestinians, including a journalist, mostly in predawn raids across the occupied West Bank, according to local and security sources. They said that the occupying forces rounded up Feras Ad-Dibs, a journalist from the Islamic Waqf Department, and a woman from the vicinity of Hutta Gate, one of the gates leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the forces handed Saif Kwasmi, another journalist, an order banning him from the mosque compound for a week and requiring him to appear before Israeli intelligence. In the Jerusalem governorate, soldiers entered a house in Anata town, conducted a thorough search, and detained an occupant.
In the Ramallah governorate, a raid was confirmed in Deir Jarir village, resulting in the detention of a villager. Meanwhile, in the Jenin governorate, the occupation forces raided Qabatiya town, breaking into several homes and detaining five residents. A similar raid in Jenin city led to the detention of a high school student.
In the Nablus governorate, soldiers entered Tell and Beit Iba towns, ransacking homes and detaining four individuals. Concurrently, Israeli soldiers denied Palestinian families access to ash-Shuhada Cemetery on the outskirts of Jenin refugee camp, firing teargas at Palestinians visiting graves.
The occupation forces frequently conduct raids on Palestinian houses across the West Bank under the pretext of searching for 'wanted' individuals, often leading to clashes. These operations occur without search warrants, in line with their extensive powers.
Under Israeli military law, army commanders hold full authority over 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, who lack influence over this governance. According to figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 9,400 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention, including 360 children and 87 women.
This figure includes approximately 3,376 Palestinians held under 'administrative detention', allowing detention without charge or trial for intervals of three to six months based on undisclosed evidence. The practice of mass arrests has persisted over decades. A 2017 report by Addameer highlighted that more than 800,000 Palestinians have been detained by Israel in the past 50 years, a number now estimated at nearly 1 million, impacting about 40% of Palestinian men and boys under military occupation.