Israel forces abduct 10 Palestinians

Israeli forces have carried out fresh raids on homes in the occupied West Bank, abducting at least 10 Palestinians there.

They stormed a number of Palestinian homes in the cities of Bethlehem, Husan and al-Khalil (Hebron) in the early hours of Sunday.

Local residents say the Palestinians were taken to an unknown location.

Israeli forces have been carrying out similar raids in the occupied territories on an almost daily basis. The raids have intensified since the deadly war on the Gaza Strip in July.

Rights organization Palestine Prisoners’ Club says 560 people have been detained so far this month, as the regime holds more than 7,000 Palestinians in its prisons.

According to another Palestinian human rights organization, Israel is also holding 540 Palestinians without trial. The Ahrar Center for Prisoners Studies said on September 26 that the number of Palestinians in Israeli administrative detention is the highest since 2008. According to the group, Israeli authorities have extended the detention of 70 prisoners in the past three weeks and transferred dozens more to administrative detention.

It said Israel has used the administrative detention policy for scores of Palestinians arrested since June, following the disappearance and death of three Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

Administrative detention is a sort of imprisonment without trial or charge that allows Israel to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months. The detention order can be renewed for indefinite periods of time.

Human rights groups often criticize Israeli prison authorities for rampant rights abuses in jails and reports of mysterious deaths of inmates in custody.

DB/HJL/HRB