UPDATE - Israeli forces raid Jerusalem governor’s office

*UPDATES WITH PALESTINIAN GOV’T REACTION

By Qais Abu Samra

AL-RAM, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces on Sunday raided the Jerusalem governor’s office in the occupied West Bank, according to local residents.

“An Israeli force stormed the governor’s office in the town of al-Ram, northeast of Jerusalem, and searched it,” a local resident told Anadolu Agency.

He said Israeli soldiers assaulted a number of employees inside the office.

According to Palestinian medical sources, three people suffered temporary asphyxiation from teargas canisters fired by Israeli forces and were treated on the spot.

The Israeli raid was quickly condemned by the Ramallah-based Palestinian government.

In a statement, government spokesman Yousef al-Mahmoud described the raid as a “dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of all agreements and international law”.

The spokesman went on to hold the Israeli government responsible for “the repercussions of these assaults”.

There was no comment from the Israeli army on the report.

Last month, Israeli police detained Jerusalem governor Adnan Ghaith and released him two days later.

Last week, Ghaith was again briefly detained by Israeli forces.