Night of raids in the West Bank: dozens arrested, including Palestinian minister
At least 30 Palestinians were arrested overnight across the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club. Simultaneously, police arrested the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Ashraf al-Awar, in Silwan following a home search.
Israeli security forces arrested at least 30 Palestinians across the West Bank between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club. Simultaneously, Palestinian media and Al Jazeera reported that the Israel Police arrested Ashraf al-Awar, the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs in the Palestinian government, in Jerusalem after raiding his home in Silwan. The Israel Police later confirmed the arrest, citing the violation of an administrative order.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the wave of arrests focused primarily on the areas of Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club stated that journalist Abd al-Rahman Hassan from Bethlehem is among those detained. The organization claimed that during several operations, homes were searched, property was damaged, and residents were held for questioning on the spot.
In Bethlehem, forces entered As-Saff Street and arrested 39-year-old Hassan at his home. At the same time, 30-year-old Mustafa Alian was arrested in the nearby Dheisheh refugee camp.
In the Hebron sector, the arrest of eight residents in the town of Ad-Dhahiriya was reported following raids. In Tulkarm, two young men were arrested in Deir al-Ghusun, with reports of five additional detainees in the area later on. In Qalqilya, six detainees were reported in Azzun, while in the Jerusalem area, Palestinians were arrested in the Qalandia camp and in Beit Duqqu.
Separately, Palestinian news networks reported that police forces entered the Ein al-Lozeh neighborhood in Silwan, East Jerusalem, and arrested the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Ashraf al-Awar, after searching his home. Al-Awar has previously been the subject of measures by Israeli authorities; last January, he was reportedly banned from entering the West Bank for six months.
As of noon, no detailed Israeli statement has been released explaining the grounds for the arrest of al-Awar or the other detainees.
