Israel ‘detains 85 people’ in Hebron in January

February 1, 2012 by occupiedpalestine 0 Comments

Maan News Agency | Feb 1, 2012
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HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained 85 people from towns, villages and refugee camps in the Hebron district in January, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Institute said Wednesday.

Soldiers raided homes in the southern West Bank district, often accompanied by dogs, head of the institute Amjad al-Najjar said in a statement.

People were ordered out of their homes during the night despite freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall, and parents were beaten in front of their children, al-Najjar said.

Ibrahim Abu Maria, 22, told the institute’s lawyer that soldiers threw him to the floor and beat him with rifle butts after raiding his home after midnight. Forces also attacked his mother when she tried to protect him, he added.

Abu Maria said he was taken to Etzion settlement where a soldier cut his hand with a knife when removing his handcuffs.

Bassam Eisha, 24, said soldiers blindfolded him and hanged him upside down by his hands in the street for two hours.

The 85 detentions included 11 people suffering chronic diseases and 11 children, the institute said.

A total of 3,312 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli authorities in 2011, 113 of whom were prisoners released in the October exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.

Since 1967, Israel has detained more than 750,000 Palestinians, including women and children, Palestinian Authority reports say. Around 40 percent of Palestinian men living in the occupied territories have been detained by Israel at some point in their lives.

Source and more at Maan News Agency

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