Israel army rounds up 20 Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Awad al-Rujoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli army forces detained 20 Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian NGO on Sunday.

Three relatives of a Palestinian stabbed to death by an Israeli settler earlier this week were among those arrested, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

Akram Harb, a local council member, said seven relatives of the slain Palestinian were summoned by the Israeli intelligence service for questioning.

“When they rejected the order, three of them were arrested early Sunday by Israeli forces,” Harb told Anadolu Agency.

“They were assaulted and beaten by Israeli forces while being detained,” he added.

The Israeli army, for its part, said it had arrested 11 “wanted” Palestinians in overnight raids in the West Bank.

Usually, Israeli forces raid cities and towns in the West Bank to arrest Palestinians on the pretext that they are wanted by Israeli forces.

Palestinian NGOs estimate that there are around 4,650 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, including at least 160 minors and 34 female detainees.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar