Israeli forces have kidnapped dozens of Palestinians in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds, a report says. the Palestinian Information Center says.
According to the report, quoting local sources, Israeli forces abducted at least 29 Palestinians early Monday, including a woman and three minors, after breaking into their homes across various neighborhoods of the occupied territories. They also looted some homes.
The report added that the Israeli forces kidnapped the wife of Palestinian prisoner, Muaad al-Ash’hab, from her home in Wadi al-Joz neighborhood and confiscated his car.
Among those detainees is head of the family committee of Jerusalem al-Quds prisoners, Amjad Abu Asab, a resident of as-Suwannah neighborhood.
The circumstances surrounding the kidnappings are yet unknown, but the Israeli forces carry out such swoops on a nearly daily basis, taking away Palestinians, whom the regime usually accuses of acting against its so-called interests.
The new development comes at a time of rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention to annex parts of the West Bank.
In addition to that issue, conditions have also been tense since US President Donald Trump announced his decision on December 6, 2017 to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s ‘capital’ and relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.
Israel holds more than 7,000 Palestinians in its jails. Most of the prisoners are being held with no indictment or trial, under a controversial policy known as administrative detention.
Israel has built more than 230 illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 that have come to house some 600,000 settlers.