JERUSALEM
Israeli forces have launched a massive detention campaign against Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem, recently detaining at least 60 of them.
The Palestinians were detained in several districts of the city on the pretext of having participated in protests in solidarity with the embattled Gaza Strip and throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli troops and Jewish settlers.
"The [arrest] campaign has covered Silwan, Issawiya, Al-Tur, Sawana, Shuafat and the Old City," said Naser Qous, director of the Palestinian Prisoners Society in Jerusalem.
He described the campaign, which appears to remain ongoing, as the largest since June.
According to the Prisoners Society, Israel has detained a total of 549 Palestinian residents of the targeted districts since July, including 166 minors.
Qous accused Israeli forces of using excessive force and firing rubber bullets and teargas, at least 28 of whom were injured, he said.
"They broke the door down without warning, detained my son and ransacked the house," the father of one detainee, requesting anonymity, told AA.
"They destroyed furniture and fired teargas outside the house before leaving," he added.
Israel has put 287 Palestinians into administrative detention since the beginning of the arrest campaign, which was launched after three Jewish settlers in the West Bank who went missing in June were found dead.
Since then, Israel has rounded up hundreds of West Bank Palestinians, including Hamas lawmakers and former cabinet ministers.
Israeli administrative detention orders can range from one to six months and can be extended by up to five years by Israeli military courts.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, some 6500 Palestinians – including 466 in administrative detention – continue to languish in jails throughout Israel.
By Anees Barghouthy
www.aa.com.tr/en
