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The Israeli army on Wednesday arrested prominent Palestinian author Israa Lafi, 34, from her home near the city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the occupied West Bank, according to Lafi’s father.
An Israeli army force raided and searched Lafi’s home before arresting her, the author’s father told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
He said his daughter had been threatened earlier by an Israeli intelligence officer because of her previous work with the Gaza-based Al-Aqsa television channel.
Hundreds of Jewish settlers on Wednesday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, according to a Palestinian official.“Over 380 settlers and police officers stormed the mosque compound, where they performed Talmudic rituals,” mosque director Omar Kiswani told Anadolu Agency.“Divided into large groups, settlers forced their way into the compound through the Al-Mugharbah Gate and left through the Al-Silsila gate,” he said.According to Kiswani, dozens of Israeli police officers were deployed in Jerusalem’s Old City and at the gates of the Al-Aqsa compound.Israeli army rounds up 15 Palestinians in W. Bank raids“Police restricted the entry of Palestinian Muslim worshipers into the mosque by confiscating their ID cards at the compound gates,” he said.Since last Friday, over 2,000 Israeli settlers and policemen have entered the compound to mark the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which will end on Sunday.Tension has mounted in the Palestinian territories -- including occupied East Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa is located -- since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital earlier this year.For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site. Jews, for their part, refer to the area as the "Temple Mount", claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.
Hundreds of Jewish settlers storm East J'lem's Al-Aqsa
Before her arrest, Lafi had been posting media reports on her personal blog and writing for a number of Arab-language websites.
In 2015, Israeli forces arrested prominent Palestinian poet Darin Tatour, 36, from her home in the northern Galilee region.
The following year, an Israeli court slapped Tatour with five months behind bars after convicting her of “inciting violence”.
The Israeli army has rounded up 15 Palestinians from their homes across the occupied West Bank in overnight raids, according to an Israeli army statement released Wednesday morning.According to the statement, the Palestinians were detained for what the army described as “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”.The statement did not elaborate as to the meaning of “popular terrorist activities”.Detained individuals have since been remanded into custody for further investigation, according to the army.Israel frequently conducts sweeping arrest campaigns across the occupied territories on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.According to Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including scores of women, some 350 minors and at least six lawmakers.Erdoğan: UNSC 'standing idle to oppressions in world'Palestinians protest UNRWA aid cuts, downsizing plansSettlers storm J'lem's Al-Aqsa, Palestinians detainedPalestinian martyred by Israeli soldiers in N. Gaza
Israeli army rounds up 15 Palestinians in W. Bank raids