Israeli troops detain Jihad leader near Jenin

Israeli forces detained an Islamic Jihad leader in the northern West Bank overnight Tuesday, amid a string of arrests of movement affiliates in recent months. Jafar Ez Al-Din Qadan, 40, was seized from his home in Arraba village south of Jenin. Qadan has been imprisoned by Israel several times, a Ma'an correspondent said. An Israeli army spokesman said Ez Al-Din Qadan had been detained, but did not have further details. Jihad-affiliated detainee Khader Adnan, also from Arraba, ended a 66-day hunger strike after striking a deal for early release and non-renewal of his detention order in February. Since Adnan's detention on Dec. 17, several West Bank Jihad leaders have been detained, including Jenin refugee camp representative and Sheikh Mahmoud As-Saadi and Sheikh Osama Al-Shalabi in Silat al-Dhahar village south of Jenin. Last Wednesday, Palestinian Authority security forces arrested two Islamic Jihad members in Hebron on the basis that they were planning a demonstration against the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the movement said in a statement.