Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued raids and arrest operations across the West Bank on Friday. During the operations, a former Palestinian prisoner was arrested from the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp near Jericho on the day of his son’s wedding. Meanwhile, Palestinian worshippers gathered for Friday prayers near Bethlehem were dispersed with tear gas and stun grenades.
According to the report, the IOF raided the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, south of Jericho, and arrested former Palestinian prisoner Wael Abdul Hafiz Awadat from his home.
Awadat had been released just two months ago after spending 38 months in administrative detention. His arrest took place on the day of his son’s wedding. He is the father of Ibrahim and Raafat Awadat, who were killed and whose bodies have been withheld by Israeli authorities for more than three years.
In a separate incident in the Abu Njeim area, southeast of Bethlehem, Palestinian residents gathered to perform Friday prayers on land where Israeli settlers had erected a tent. The gathering was held in protest against attempts to seize the land for settlement expansion.
The report states that Israeli forces dispersed the worshippers by firing tear gas and stun grenades, leaving several Palestinians suffering from tear gas inhalation. Local sources also said that settlers had previously erected the tent as part of efforts to establish a new settlement outpost in the area.
In another incident, Palestinian youths threw stones at a settler vehicle after it entered the outskirts of the village of Osarin, southeast of Nablus. According to the report, the incident occurred amid continued settler attacks and incursions into Palestinian towns and villages under the protection of Israeli forces.