Israeli Occupation Soldiers Kidnap 16 Palestinians In the West Bank

Tuesday March 06, 2012 13:09 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped, on Tuesday, sixteen Palestinians, including four teenagers, in several districts in the occupied West Bank, installed roadblocks, searched dozens of vehicles, and took over a vehicle that belongs to a resident of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian News & Info Agency, WAFA, reported that the army invaded the southern West Bank district of Hebron, and kidnapped six residents in the nearby Beit Ummar town, after breaking into and searching their homes; the kidnapped residents were moved to an Israeli interrogation center.

The six kidnapped residents were identified as Monjid Fawwaz Borqan, Mohammad Hammad Ar-Rajabi, Rafiq Suleiman Az-Zaro, Waheed Abu Qweidir, his brother Farid, and Monjid Jihad Ar-Rajabi.

Soldiers also invaded the nearby town of Beit Ummar, and kidnapped three residents identified as Mo’taz Khaled Awad, 19, his brother Aayish, 17, and Bassam Abu Maria, 16, and took them to an unknown destination.

Mohammad Abu Awad, spokesperson of the Popular Committee Against Settlements in Beit Ummar, stated that soldiers, based at the entrance of Beit Ummar, stopped and searched dozens of vehicles, causing a traffic jam, and caused deliberate damage to a number of vehicles before kidnapping a resident of Jerusalem and taking over his vehicle.

The army also kidnapped a child, identified as Basel Khaled Abu Hashem, 15, and took him to an unknown destination.

Soldiers also installed roadblocks in Joret Bahlas area, at the northern entrance of Hebron, and at the Nabi Younis entrance in Halhoul nearby town, in addition to a roadblock at the entrance of Al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron.

The army then went on to stop dozens of vehicles, and checked the ID cards of the residents while searching the vehicles.

The army also invaded Yitma village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and kidnapped four residents identified as Mohammad Aref Snober, 18, Ahmad Mohammad Snober, 21, Mohammad Taleb Snober, and Khaled Saqer An-Najjar.

In Bethlehem district, soldiers invaded Al-Obeidiyya town, and handed a resident a military order instructing him to head to the Etzion military base for interrogation.

Local sources reported that soldiers broke the house of Jamal Shanaita, 55, and handed the military order to his son, Mahmoud, 25.

The latest arrests raise the number of Palestinians kidnapped by the Israeli military in the West Bank in less than 48 hours to 29.

On Monday, Amjad An-Najjar, head of the Hebron branch of the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped more than 200 residents in the Hebron district, in the southern part of the West Bank, in January and February of this year.

Updated From
Soldiers Kidnap 9 Palestinians In Hebron
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News - Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:39:02

Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Monday at night, 6 Palestinians from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and three from the nearby town of Beit Ummar, local sources reported.

The army invaded Hebron, broke into and searched several homes, and kidnapped six residents identified as Monjid Fawwaz Borqan, Mohammad Hammad Ar-Rajabi, Rafiq Suleiman Az-Zaro, Waheed Abu Qweidir, his brother Farid, and Monjid Jihad Ar-Rajabi.

Soldiers also invaded Beit Ummar town, and kidnapped three residents identified as Mo’taz Khaled Awad, 18, his brother Ayyash, 17, and Basel Khaled Abu Salem, 16.

The army also fired gas bombs, rounds of live ammunition, and rubber-coated metal bullets at local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them; no injuries were reported.

Furthermore, the army closed the northern entrance of the town and prevented the residents from entering or leaving it.

Army Kidnapped 200 Residents In Hebron Since The Beginning Of 2012

Tuesday March 06, 2012 11:18 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Amjad An-Najjar, head of the Hebron branch of the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped more than 200 residents in the Hebron district, in the southern part of the West Bank, in January and February of this year.

An-Najjar stated that, in February, soldiers kidnapped, more than a hundred Palestinians, including three men, while 98 Palestinians were kidnapped in January.

He further stated that the army carried out dozens of invasions, and broke into dozens of homes causing extensive damage to their property, and also repeatedly forced the residents out of their homes under the rain and the cold.

The soldiers further attacked and beat dozens of residents, and also kidnapped nine patients who needed medical attention.

As for arrests targeting children, An-Najjar said that, in Hebron alone, the army kidnapped more than seven children in February, and violently attacked them.

According to statistics of the PPS, the army transferred, in February, more than 30 Palestinians to interrogation centers where they were forced to stand for extended periods, and were subjected to physical and psychological torture. Eight of them were moved to Administrative Detention without charges or trial.

On Monday at night, soldiers kidnapped six Palestinians from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and three from the nearby town of Beit Ummar.

3 Relatives of Detainees Arrested During Jail Visit, 21 Civilians Arrested in Morning Invasions

Monday March 05, 2012 14:16 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Three relatives of Palestinian political detainees were arrested by Israeli soldiers on Sunday during a jail visit, the Palestinian Prisoners Society reported on Monday.

According to the report, the incident took place at Rimon military detention facility. The Prisoners Society announced that troops stormed the visitors area and arrested 26 year old Daiyala Matar, and her 15 year old brother Saeed. They were visiting their brother Mohamed who is currently serving a life sentence after being detained since 2003 by the Israeli military.

30 year old Yuosra Qaadan was also arrested by the Israeli soldiers whilst she was visiting her brother Saeed. Saeed has been detained by the Israeli military since 2003 and is currently serving a 25 year sentence.

The arrested visitors were taken to unknown locations by the Israeli troops. The Palestinian Prisoners Society also reported that the troops cancelled all visiting on Sunday for the rest of the prisoners and their families.

In related news, local sources announced that on Monday morning, Israeli forces invaded West Bank communities and arrested 21 Palestinian civilians including five children.

The five children were arrested by Israeli soldiers after they raided homes in the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Other invasions and arrests were reported in the cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus and Qalqilia.

Army Kidnaps 10 Palestinians Including 5 Children

Monday March 05, 2012 12:45 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Wadi Hilwa Information center reported that Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Monday at dawn, ten Palestinians, including five children, in occupied East Jerusalem, and in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.

Jawad Siyam, head of the Wadi Hilwa Information Center, in Silwan town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, reported that dozens of soldiers invaded the town during down hours, broke into several homes, and kidnapped five residents identified as Shaddad Al-A’war, 12, Suhaib Al-A’war, 13, Elias Al-A’war, 14, Islam Al-A’war , 17, and Ahmad Salah, 14.

Also on Monday at dawn, troops kidnapped, five Palestinian youths in Al-Arroub refugee camp, and Beit Ummar town, near the southern West Bank District of Hebron.

The five were identified as Samer Abdullah Al-Hour, 27, Mos’ab Mohammad Al-Hour, 20, Nihad Abdul-Nabi Ayyoub, 24, Shadi Ahmad Abu Dayya, 22; all from Beit Ummar, in addition Adham Mohammad Badawi, 21, Al-Arroub refugee camp.

All of the kidnapped residents in Hebron were moved to the Etzion Israeli military and security base, north of Hebron.

Local sources reported that the army broke into, and violently searched several homes in Al-Arroub and Beit Ummar, terrifying the residents and causing damage to their property.

Furthermore, Siyam said that that several new cracks were found in Wadi Hilwa playground that was bulldozed by the army two weeks ago, an issue that caused fears among the residents of former cracks.

Two days ago, two more cracks occurred at the main road, near Al-Ein refugee camp, in the center of Silwan, while another crack caused the collapse of wall onto two homes in the town.

He said that the cracks are some of them effects and destruction caused by Israel’s ongoing excavations in the area despite the heavy rain.

Troops conduct night and early dawn invasions, and arrests, in the occupied West Bank on a daily basis; such attacks also include home invasions leading causing damages to the homes and property of the residents.

Youth Seriously Injured By Army Fire Near Ramallah

Monday March 05, 2012 11:28 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources reported, Monday, that a Palestinian youth was seriously wounded after Israeli troops fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinian protestors, at the Atara roadblock, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

The sources stated that resident Mohammad Taiseer Abu Awwad, 19, was critically injured on Monday by Israeli troops when they opened fire at a group of Palestinian youths conducting a commemoration protest near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. He was hit in the head and suffered a skull fracture that lead to internal and external bleeding.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Beetawi, head of the Ramallah medical center, told reporters that Awwad was immediately moved to surgery.

Dozens of youth were holding a protest at the roadblock marking the death of the six family members of Bassam Abu Awwad, after their vehicle collided with a Hummer Israeli military jeep at the roadblock, two years ago.

The crash took place on Friday, March 5, 2010, when an Israeli military Hummer Jeep crashed into a Palestinian Cab at the Silwan Bridge, in the Ramallah district; resident Bassam Abu Awwad, 40, his wife Samia, 27, his children Yousef, 8, Aayaat, 3, Jannat, 2, and his two-month infant, Mahmoud, were all killed.

Report: “Israeli Occupation Army Kidnaps Palestinians For Training Purposes”

Monday March 05, 2012 07:45 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The International Tadamun (Solidarity) Foundation for Human Rights reported that Israeli occupation soldiers have been recently invading Palestinians area, breaking into homes at night and kidnapping Palestinian youths, in order to train new army recruits.

The Foundation stated in a press release on Sunday that “Israeli soldiers invaded recently several towns, villages and refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, kidnapped dozens of ordinary civilians, took them to military bases, and release them later on, as part of a new field training program for the soldiers”.

It added that, as part of this training, eight Palestinians were kidnapped a few days ago in Kafr Qaleel village, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and a similar number of residents in Sorra village, west of Nablus, and released them after the training was concluded.

The soldiers caused excessive damage to the homes of the kidnapped residents, as this “training” included conducting home invasions and searches, and conducted these attacked after midnight and early dawn hours.

The Foundation further stated that this practice “turns the Palestinian homes into training fields and a lab to train Israeli military officers and recruits on invasion and search techniques, in addition to providing the soldiers with interrogation skills by practicing on innocent civilians”.