Dozens Abducted by Israeli Forces in Occupied Palestine

Occupying Israeli forces have kidnapped dozens of Palestinians Monday in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Information Center said in a report.

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Citing local sources, the report said at least 29 Palestinians were abducted, including a woman and three minors, after Israeli forces broke into their homes in different neighborhoods of the occupied territories. Some homes were also looted.

The report added that Israel's forces also kidnaped the wife of Palestinian prisoner, Muaad al-Ash’hab, from her home in Wadi al-Joz neighborhood and confiscated his car.

Among those detained is also the head of the family committee of Jerusalem prisoners, Amjad Abu Asab, a resident of as-Suwannah neighborhood.

The circumstances surrounding the kidnappings are yet unknown, but the Israeli forces carry out such swoops on a nearly daily basis, taking away Palestinians, seen as acting against Israel’s so-called interests. 

Although carrying out raids is common by Israeli forces, the scale of the operations carried out early Monday is unusual.

The new development comes at a time of rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention to annex the West Bank.

Israel holds more than 7,000 Palestinians in its jails. Most of the prisoners are being held with no indictment or trial, under a controversial policy known as administrative detention.

The Jewish state 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 Palestinian land, in constructions considered illegal under international law.