Israeli Forces Detain 16 Palestinians In West Bank Raids - Reports

Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians, including six students, during overnight raids across the West Bank, media reported Thursday, citing the Palestine Prisoners' Society

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2019) Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians, including six students, during overnight raids across the West Bank, media reported Thursday, citing the Palestine Prisoners' Society.

Six students from Birzeit University were among those detained in the central West Bank district of Ramallah, according to Palestine news Agency (Wafa).

At least five Palestinians were detained in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, while one was detained in East Jerusalem. The raids were also carried out in Jericho, Jenin and Hebron.

Israeli forces regularly conduct search and detention raids on the territory of the West Bank while also widely using its administrative detention policy against Palestinians. The practice allows the authorities to issue detention orders for renewable intervals on the basis of classified evidence that is not disclosed even to the detainees' lawyers.

This practice has been repeatedly criticized by international organizations, including the United Nations and human rights watchdogs, as a violation of civil and political rights.

For decades, Israel has been in conflict with Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the occupied areas, despite objections from the United Nations.