Israeli occupation forces arrested 90-year-old Palestinian Ali Al-Wahsh yesterday morning, Quds Press reported.

Large number of Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Khader neighbourhood in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, broke into houses, searched them and damaged their furniture before arresting Al-Wahsh.

Zakaria, one of Al-Wahsh’s sons, described the Israeli occupation’s raid, which lasted four hours, as “violent and barbaric”.

“We have never thought that the Israeli occupation wanted to arrest the old man, who is the chief of Al-Ta’amra clan which existed in the West Bank and Jordan and one of the reknown tribal judges in Bethlehem.”

Al-Wahsh has been arrested on numerous occasions by occupation forces, most recently in 1992. He has 120 children and grandchildren, Quds Press reported.

During the arrest campaign, the Israeli occupation confiscated his personal pistol, which is licenced by the Palestinian Authority.

Al-Wahsh is being locked up in Gush Etzion detention centre in the south of Bethlehem and will appear in court today.

Commenting on the arrest, Hussein Abed-Rabbu, spokesman of the PLO Commission of Prisoners and Freed Prisoners, said: “Arresting Al-Wahsh proves that the Israeli occupation does not care about common values and is targeting the Palestinian social system.”

Israeli occupation forces arrested 20 other Palestinians along with Al-Wahsh.

Source: Quds Press International News Agency
Translated by: Middle East Monitor
In collaboration with the Palestinian Media Forum