Israel detains 7 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, locals said. Local sources told Ma'an that Israeli forces raided the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqu and detained Muad Hajahjeh, 18, Amjad Nayef Sabah, 20, Ahmad Odetallah al-Amour, 19, and Abed Adel al-Amour, 16. In a separate incident, Israeli forces detained three Palestinians in Beit Ummar village north of Hebron after carrying out raids on their houses in the early morning, a local official said. The spokesman for the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlement Activities in Beit Ummar, Mohammad Ayyad Awad, said that an Israeli military force invaded the village in the early morning and raided the house of Yousef Hassan al-Dawadeh. During the raid they detained his son Malik, 17, who had previously spent several months in Israeli jails. Israeli forces also raided the house of Issa Arar and detained his son, Nour, 17, a high school student. Israeli forces also detained another Palestinian during the incursion, but there are still no details on the individual's identity. An Israeli army spokeswoman said that the Palestinians were arrested because of "involvement in illegal activities," without provding further details. She only knew of two detained individuals in Beit Ummar, however, and was unaware of the third detention.