Israeli police detain dozens of Palestinians in overnight raids

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), 28 Palestinians, including children, were detained during the sweeping raids on Monday.

In Jerusalem, 21 Palestinians were arrested in the neighbourhoods of al-Tur, Wadi al-Joz, Silwan, Issawiyeh and Jerusalem's Old City.

Seven other Palestinians were detained across the occupied West Bank. In Bethlehem, three teenage boys were detained, two aged 16 and another aged 15.

In Hebron, a student at Berzeit University was detained at a checkpoint. 

In Jenin district, PPS said that two Palestinians were detained in a raid in Qabatia town, south of Jenin City, while another Palestinian was also taken by Israeli police in the Jordan Valley.

Local in Jenin attempted to block further raids until Israeli police opened fire. No injuries were reported. 

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Since the start of 2020, Israel has detained a total of 845 Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, according to the PPS.

Carrying out raids is common by occupying Israeli forces but not usually on the scale of the operations carried out Sunday evening.

Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank since 1967, and commits various abuses against Palestinian civilians, human rights groups say.

More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.

The Oslo agreement of 1995 divided the occupied West Bank into three: Area A, Area B and Area C.

Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Area B's administration is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, with Israel controlling security. Area C is under full administrative and security control of Israel.

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