[Sunday, January 19, 2014] Israeli soldiers kidnapped twelve Palestinians in the West Bank districts of Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus. The army also kidnapped a recently released veteran Palestinian political prisoner in occupied Jerusalem.Eyewitnesses said that several armored Israeli military jeeps invaded the West Bank district of Bethlehem, violently broke into and searched several homes, kidnapping eight Palestinians, including seven in the Al-Obeydiyya town, east of the city.
The kidnapped have been identified as Eyad Yousef Hasasna, 26, his brother Waleed, 18, Younis Mohammad Safy, 18, Sa’ad Mohammad Al-Asa, 35, Majed Aqeel Rabay’a, 38, Falah Issa Abu Sarhan, 25, Hisham Daoud Radayda, 33.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded Doha town, west of Bethlehem, broke into one house and searched it before kidnapping a resident identified as Firas Ahmad Al-Odah, 32.
In related news, soldiers in several armored Israeli military jeeps invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and kidnapped three Palestinians.
Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers invaded the Ras Al-Ein neighborhood, Al-Jame’a (University) Street, and the Balata refugee camp, violently broke into and searched several homes before kidnapping three Palestinians.
Two of the kidnapped have been identified as Malek Abdul-Nasser Sobeh, 22, and Abdul-Jabbar Imad Skakhsheer, 22.
Furthermore, several Israeli military jeeps invaded the Sa’ir town, east of the southern West bank city of Hebron, kidnapped one resident, and violently assaulted two others.
The Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA) has reported that soldiers kidnapped Fady Ishaq Jaradat, 33, at the entrance of Sa’ir town, and violently assaulted Shady Mahmoud Ja’abra, 17, and Morad Ja’abra, 15; the two were moved to a local clinic, suffering various cuts and bruises.
Furthermore, soldiers invaded Ethna and Bani Neim towns, west of the city, and installed a roadblock at the entrance of the al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of the city.
In occupied Jerusalem, Israeli police officers kidnapped Mahmoud Da’ajna, 66, a former political prisoner who was recently released after 23 others in Israeli prisons. The police claimed the arrest was “tax related”.
Da’ajna was released on December 31, 2013, when Israel released the third phase of veteran political prisoners (26 detainees) as part of direct political talks, mediated by the U.S.
The fourth and final stage of releasing veteran detainees is scheduled for March 28, 2014. In total, 104 veteran detainees will be released.
Israel released, back in mid-August, 26 veteran detainees (14 from Gaza and 12 from the West bank) and, in late October, it released 26 veteran detainees (21 from Gaza and 5 from the West Bank).
In its annual report for the year 2012, the Census Department of the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees revealed that Israeli soldiers kidnapped 3,874 Palestinians, including 931 children.
The number of detainees who died in prison, either due to torture or to being shot by soldiers during and after their arrest, since 1967, currently stands at 204.
Israel is currently holding captive 5,200 Palestinians in 17 prisons, detention camps and interrogation facilities across the region. The number includes 250 children and 13 women, in addition to 13 democratically elected legislators.
