Occupation Forces Deatain Over 20 Palestinians from West Bank

Nablus – Israeli occupation forces ransacked a number of houses, seized cash and detained 21 Palestinians in overnight raids across various parts of the West Bank, said the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) in a press release.

It said Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians from the northern West Bank district of Nablus.

WAFA learned from security sources that Israeli military vehicles raided Asira al-Shamaliya town, north of Nablus city, where soldiers detained five Palestinians.

Security sources added that soldiers also carried out two other separate raids into Tell and Sarra villages, southwest of Nablus, resulting in the detention of two Palestinians, including a former prisoner.

Elsewhere in the northern West Bank, PPS added that five Palestinians were detained from Toubas district.

 Director of PPS chapter in Tubas Mahmoud Sawafta told WAFA that Israeli soldiers rounded up four Palestinians, including a father along his two sons, in Toubas city, and a fifth detained from Tammoun town, northeast of Tubas.

In the southern West Bank, PPS said that five Palestinians were detained in multiple raids across Bethlehem district.

Security sources told WAFA a Palestinian was detained from Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem city, two others from the neighboring town of al-Khader, and one from the Bethlehem city neighborhood of al-Manawra.

In al-Eizariya town, east of Jerusalem, Israeli troops detained four Palestinians, including a prisoner’s son and a 14-year-old child.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military court at Ofer, near Ramallah, approved the administrative detention orders against 13 Palestinians.

The court approved the orders for nine Palestinians to serve six months in administrative detention and four others to four months.

Two Palestinian brothers End 27 Years behind Bars

In Ramallah, two Palestinian siblings from the town of Musherfeh, inside the Israeli-occupied territories, have ended 27 years behind bars in Israeli jails for their resistance of the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said today in a press statement.

It said Ibrahim, 54, and Mohammad Ighbarieh, 51, were arrested on February 26, 1992 and sentenced to life in prison for their resistance.

The two were supposed to be released in March 2014 in an American-sponsored deal in which Israel would release all Palestinians held prior to the 1993 Oslo agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to “boost peace negotiations”. Israel, after releasing three batches of prisoners, reneged on the fourth that included the longest serving prisoners.

The PPS said Mohammad Ighbarieh got his master’s degree in prison and published four books, while Ibrahim has published one book during incarceration.

Bab al-Rahma in Al-Aqsa remains open despite Israeli attempts to close it

In al-Quds, the gate to Bab al-Rahma prayer area inside Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in al-Quds’s Old City was reopened today after Israeli attempts to re-close it.

About 50 employees of the Waqf department in charge of Al-Aqsa compound and Muslim property in al-Quds reopened the gate to Bab al-Rahma area in a show of defiance to Israeli attempts to re-seal it shut and ban Muslim worship in that area.

Palestinians reopened the prayer area two weeks ago after it was closed at Israeli police orders for 16 years under the claim of a court order, which turned out to be false.

Muslim prayers resumed at the site adjacent to the Old City’s historic wall from inside Al-Aqsa compound, where the shut Golden Gate is located, as police and lately Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have led a campaign to re-shut it for Muslim worship.

The Islamic Waqf department and Palestinian institutions have insisted on keeping the Bab al-Rahma prayer area open for Muslim worship after it became clear to them that Israel wants to keep it off for Muslims in order to give Jewish fanatics, who call for rebuilding their temple inside Al-Aqsa compound, free access and presence in the area.

Palestinians have warned of outbreak of violence if Israel insists on changing the status quo at Al-Aqsa compound, the third holiest site in Islam and which is the ground for only Muslim worship.

Wafa News Agency

R.S