Disabled elderly among seven detained from West Bank

Israeli forces Thursday overnight detained seven Palestinians, including a disabled elderly, from various parts of the West Bank, according to local and security sources.

They said that Israeli forces rounded up three Palestinians, including a youth along with his disabled elderly father, after breaking into and searching their houses in Qabatiya town, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Meanwhile, gun-toting soldiers detained another after storming his house in Qalandiya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.

Israeli military vehicles also stormed the nearby town of al-Ram, where the soldiers detained two others.

The sources confirmed a similar raid in Beit Anan town, northwest of Jerusalem, resulting in the detention of another.

Israeli 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. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

Source: Palestinian News & Information Agency