On Tuesday at dawn, dozens of Israeli military vehicles and jeeps invaded kufur Ra’ey village, south west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin and kidnapped four residents who are believed to be members of the Islamic Jihad.Local sources in the village reported that at least thirty Israeli military vehicles invaded the area from several directions and fired rounds of live ammunition. Soldiers also sealed the entrances of the village and broke into dozens of homes while searching for resistance fighters.
Resident Mohammad Diab, stated that he woke up on the sound of heavy shooting near his home, and then he heard the soldiers kicking his doors and shouting “open the door”.
Diab added that after he opened the door, soldiers forced him and his family out for several hours, searched the house causing damage and kidnapped his son Suheib, 23, after handcuffing and blindfolding him.
Soldiers also broke into the house of Hamad Abid Atrash, 22, and kidnapped him after searching the property and forcing the family out for several hours.
The attacks continued and the army broke into more homes forcing women, children and elderly out and interrogating them.
The family of resident Ayman Mohammad Yahia, 30, stated that soldiers fired at their home before breaking into it and interrogating them, including the women and children, and kidnapped Ayman.
The family also stated that soldiers broke into several surrounding houses, searched them then attacked and clubbed several youth.
The army threatened the residents that “they will be severely punished if they provide the fighters with any assistance”.
One of the residents, identified as Husham Yousef, said that the soldiers interrogated him for four hours, and claimed that he was providing hideout to resistance fighters.
Yousef added that the soldiers threatened to destroy his house, after they searched the property and could not locate any fighter.
During the six-hour military offensive, soldiers also kidnapped resident Ahmad Mohammad Ibrahim, 30, after claiming that he is a member of the Islamic Jihad.
His family members said that soldiers searched the house causing considerable damage before handcuffing Ibrahim and taking him to an unknown destination.
Several residents stated that in contrary to the Israeli military claims, none of the kidnapped residents is wanted, and that the soldiers kidnapped them from their homes after failing to locate any resistance fighter in the area.
Also on Tuesday at dawn, under-cover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated into the nearby Kufur Dan village and broke into a memorial house for Khalid Saleh, who was killed along with another two resistance fighters near Jenin several days ago.
The residents managed to uncover the infiltration after the under-covered starting asking unusual questions about resistance fighters and their whereabouts.
