At least eight Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Tuesday in a mass abduction sweep launched across the West Bank.
The Israeli radio claimed that eight Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of involvement in anti-occupation activities.
The same source added that the occupation army seized a home-made rifle in Balata refugee camp in Nablus and arrested the rifle holder.
At the same time dozens of Israeli settlers forced their way into Joseph’s Tomb in eastern Nablus under a tight security shield.
A PIC on-the-spot reporter said buses carrying Israeli fanatics flocked to Beit Furik checkpoint at 1 a.m while a chain of military checkpoints was pitched by the Israeli border police patrols at al-Ghazi crossroads and Amman Street.
The IOF cordoned off Balata camp sparking violent clashes with Palestinian protesters.
Meanwhile Israeli soldiers broke into the family home of prisoner Ahmad Hani Hamdi in Nablus at 1:30 a.m. and wreaked havoc on the building before they stole jewelry worth 8000 dinars. Jewels estimated at 4000 dinars belong to the family’s bride-to-be daughter.
The father displayed bills proving that the family purchased the jewelry from a recognized jeweler and refused to sign the confiscation document after he found out that the data jotted down by the soldiers did not match the stolen belongings.
The family appealed to the human rights institutions to work on returning the stolen jewelry.
Ahmad’s sister Israa said her brother has been held in Israeli detention for over one month and that her husband Muayad Sharab has been locked up in Israeli jails for 118 days running.
Overnight the IOF kidnapped Ali Mohamed Mseimi and Bassem Hassan Marshoud from the Balata camp in eastern Nablus as they tried to pass through a flying checkpoint set up near Yatma town. The occupation army claimed the youngsters were holding a gun.
Youngster Mo’men Kmeil 20 was also kidnapped by the IOF from his own family home in Jenin’s southern town of Qabatiya.
Meanwhile violent clashes burst out in Qalqilya where the IOF unleashed spates of bullet fire and stun grenades. The occupation troops further rummaged into civilian homes and subjected the residents to intensive questioning.
Clashes also rocked Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem at the crack of dawn after the occupation soldiers kidnapped 18-year-old Mohamed Darwish from his own family home and dragged him to an unknown destination.
The occupation troops attacked the Palestinian protesters with waves of teargas canisters and sound bombs. Several civilians choked on teargas inside their homes.
