News / Palestine

Israeli forces arrest four Hamas members in West Bank

Sunday, 16 October 2016 7:50 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 16 October 2016 7:52 AM ]

An Israeli soldier kicks a Palestinian man as troops try to arrest him in the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on September 20, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Israeli forces have arrested four members of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, along with several other people during separate overnight raids on a number of Palestinian houses across the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers stormed Sebastia village, located some 12 kilometers northwest of the city of Nablus, Qabatiya city and Bani Na’im town, eight kilometers east of al-Khalil (Hebron), besides several other West Bank villages early on Sunday, Arabic-language al-Aqsa television network reported.

The sources added that Israeli troops violently searched the houses across the West Bank, causing property damage before taking away 16 Palestinian. Four Hamas members were among those arrested.

Additionally, Israeli military jeeps rolled into Askar refugee camp and Balata al-Balad village on the outskirts of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, prompting protests from local residents.

Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades to disperse the protesters. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests.

There are also reports that Israeli officials have placed the Erez crossing into the West Bank from the besieged Gaza Strip under curfew on the eve of Israel’s Sukkot holdiday.

The measure restricts Palestinians’ movements into and out of the West Bank between Saturday night and Monday night.

The occupied territories have already been the scene of increased tensions ever since Israeli forces imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem al-Quds in August 2015.

Over 250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of last October.

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