Israeli forces raid West Bank town, arrest 10

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH

Israeli army forces raided the West Bank town of Kobar on Monday and arrested 10 Palestinians, according to local residents.

Residents said Israeli soldiers searched several houses in the town and arrested 10 people.

The Israeli army has yet to issue an official statement on the arrests.

Israeli forces have staged several raids into the town since the beginning of this month after the killing of Assem Barghouti, a local resident who was accused by Israeli authorities of carrying out a shooting attack east of Ramallah on Dec. 9, in which six Israelis were injured.

Israeli media also said Barghouti’s brother was involved in another shooting attack east of Ramallah, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs, Israeli forces detained 6,489 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip this year.