The Israeli military launched large-scale raids of houses, Wendesday morning, in several neighbourhoods in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan, south of al-Aqsa mosque.The campaign resulted in the arrest of a large number of boys and young men under the pretext of alleged involvement in recent clashes with the Israeli army and settlers.
Those boys were identified as Tarek Maher, Mohamad Ali, Ahmad Jamal and Ehab Ali, all from the family of Samir Sarhan, who was killed by a private security guard hired to protect Israeli settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.
Shortly after the arrest, an Sarhan family member stated that, ‘[t]he Israeli army assualted my sons, fired tear gas on them and took them to al-Maskobeya detention and interrogation center in West Jerusalem.’
Furthermore, other neighbourhoods witnessed Israeli raids including Wadi Helwa, al-Bustan, Baten al-Hawa , Ba’er Ayyoub and A’an al-Loza region.
The Israeli army has continued to impose a tight siege on the town and closed Wadi Helwa region for the past six days as the neighbourhood celebrates al-mathala Eid,which ends next Friday.
