Israeli forces arrested 20 Palestinians in the West Bank during the night of Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday.  Israeli soldiers stormed the cities of Nablus, where eight Palestinians were arrested. Nine people were arrested in Hebron.

The Hebron-area village of Beit Ummar was home to five arrests last night.

In the village of al-Tabaka, near Hebron, Israeli troops detained Ibrahim Khaled Amro and Muhammad Mteir, who was injured in a demonstration the previous day. Muhammad Mteir’s father said that his house was raided at dawn.

At 2am Israeli troops entered the Hebron-area village of Beit Ummar to arrest five residents. Soldiers also beat up concerned neighbours who attempted to intervene.

Witnesses in Beit Ummar say that in addition to the arrests, soldiers also shot sound bombs as they shouted for the villagers to remain in their homes.

According to the Beit Ummar-based Palestine Solidarity Project (PSP), since the beginning of February Israeli soldiers have arrested 18 people in the village, including eight minors. In January, 32 Beit Ummar residents were arrested. PSP activists claim that many of the people arrested were given no cause for their detention.