2 US activists arrested by Israel in occupied West Bank, rights group says

WASHINGTON

Two US activists were arrested on Dec. 12 by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank while opposing the forced displacement of a Palestinian family, according to a statement from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Irene Cho, from New York, and Trudi Frost, from Boston, who were volunteering with the ISM, were detained in the village of al-Mughayyer, northeast of Ramallah, while staying with the Abu Hamam family, which the ISM said has faced “ceaseless harassment and assault at the hands of Israeli settlers and armed forces for over a year.”

According to the movement, Israeli authorities revoked the activists’ staying permits through a summary procedure and transferred them to Givon prison near the city of Ramla.

The ISM said the arrests came after Israeli forces claimed to present a “month-long military order sealing the area.”

Maps accompanying the order, according to the ISM, did not include the Abu Hamam residence in the restricted zone, making the detentions unlawful.

The rights group said the two US activists are refusing to cooperate with deportation while their lawyers challenge the legality of the deportation orders. The activists are expected to face a custody review panel within 72 hours.

Asked by Anadolu about Cho and Frost's arrest, a spokesperson for the State Department said it was "aware of the reports" and has "no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens."

"Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, the Department works to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment at this time," said the spokesperson.

Rights groups say the Israeli military has increasingly issued orders closing off areas as military zones and imposing movement restrictions to prevent activists from aiding Palestinian villages during the olive harvest.

The Israeli military issued at least 22 orders restricting activists from participating in the harvest season, with 10 of the closed zones around the village of Burin near Nablus, Israeli daily Hareetz reported last month.

Activists, including US nationals, have also faced violence — at times deadly — from Israeli security forces and illegal settlers.

One recent instance was that of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish US activist who was also volunteering with the ISM.

Eygi, 26, was killed by the Israeli military during a protest over illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 6, 2024.