Israel makes multiple Hamas arrests

A campaign of mass arrests for Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders in Nablus, north of the West Bank, was launched by Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday. Witnesses at the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, said that Israeli forces raided the house of Yasser Pedersawi, a leader in Hamas movement in the city, and destroyed the contents of his house. At the same time Israeli military vehicles north of Nablus  arrested a father and son and one other man after raiding their homes. All of the detainees are all affiliated to Hamas. In Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces arrested three people from the city and the town of Aizaria. Meanwhile, Palestinian media reported that occupation forces arrested the secretary of the Shabiba Fatah Youth Movement in Jerusalem. A 15-year-old and a 12-year-old were also arrested after their homes were searched in Jerusalem. In violation of Israeli law they were taken for questioning without the presence of a legal guardian. They are currently under investigation at Qishleh detention center in the old town. In Ramallah occupation forces stormed the Jalazoun refugee camp, and arrested the leader of the Islamic Jihad Sheikh Saeed Nakhla. The Islamic Jihad movement issued a statement saying that the arrest had come hours after "Sheikh Saeed participated in a national rally for solidarity with prisoners and detainees.” Israeli settlers burned four cars and a tractor in the village of Zubeidat as well as three cars in Naaga in the West Bank. They also wrote racist slogans against the Palestinians, in retaliation for the killing of a settler at a checkpoint in Zaatara about a month ago.