Israeli soldiers arrested on Friday at night two Palestinian women from Atteel village north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem while attempting to cross an Israeli military checkpoint installed near Bal’a village, east of Tulkarem.
A local source in Tulkarem reported that soldiers stopped a taxi transporting several residents and forced them out for inspection. Later on, troops took all of the passengers and the taxi driver to the Israeli District Coordination Office, west of the city.
Soldiers investigated the passengers and the driver, and released them all except the two women.
The arrested women were identified as Isra’ Ribhi Abu Khaleel, 21, and her sister Fatima, 28 years old.
Army claims that the two sisters, students at the American University in Jenin, are supports of the Islamic Jihad; Isra’ was previously arrested for the same claim.
It is worth mentioning that Usama, the brother of the two sisters was shot and killed by Israeli forces three years ago.
Osama, 15, was killed after the soldiers exchanged fire with fighters of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad.
Tulkarem and its surrounding areas remained under strict closure and siege, especially after the soldiers closed several roadblocks surrounding the area and installed dozens of portable roadblocks.
