Israeli army abducts thirteen Palestinian civilians from several parts of the West Bank

Tuesday February 20, 2007 11:53

by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday morning, attacked Palestinian houses and abducted thirteen Palestinian civilians.

Seven civilians were abducted by Israeli forces during a morning invasion of the village of Dier Samit, located south-west of Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank. Local villagers reported that at least eight Israeli army vehicles stormed the village in the early morning hours, searched scores of houses, then took the seven people and left.

Those abducted were known as; Mohamed Al Hurob, 23, Tha'ir Al Hurob, 22, Mohamed Al Hurob, 24, Hamza Al Hurob, 20, Ameen Al Hurob, 21, Wa'el Al Hurob, 21, and Baha' Al 'Adm, 21.

Another Palestinian civilian was abducted on Tuesday morning from the southern part of the West Bank. Mohamed Al Siffi, 17, was abducted from Al Walaja village west of Bethlehem city, local sources said the boy was abducted during a pre-dawn invasion by Israeli troops into the village.

In the meantime, in the northern part of the West Bank, Israeli forces abducted five Palestinian civilians during morning invasions.

Two of those five were taken to an unknown detention camp from Jayouss village, north-east of Qalqilia city when Israeli troops and jeeps invaded the village searched and ransacked scores of houses. The two were known as Mohamed Bidah, 18, and Mohamed Khalid, 18. A third civilian known as Yousif Abu Mustafa, from the city of Qalqilia, was taken prisoner at an Israeli army checkpoint located between Qalqilia and Nablus.

The remaining two were abducted from the village of Bitta south of Nablus city. Eyewitnesses stated that an Israeli army force attacked a number of houses in the village then abducted the two men and left, one of them was identified as Nihad Mustafa, 26.