Israeli army storms Birzeit University and arrests two students

The Israeli army this morning has stormed the Birzeit University campus near Ramallah and arrested two students, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Anadolu quoted eyewitnesses as saying: “The Israeli army stormed the Birzeit University campus, near Ramallah, detained the university security guards in a room and prevented media from entering the campus.”

The witnesses said the army arrested two students of the Islamic bloc, the student arm of Hamas who had organised a sit-in for several days in protest against the arrests, by Palestinian security forces, of their colleagues, pointing out others managed to escape.

The witnesses said the Israeli army confiscated the Islamic bloc’s belongings including their flags, photographs and promotional materials, and inspected a number of university buildings.

The university administration did not comment on the operation until.

The Israeli army is continuing its operations in various cities and towns in the West Bank in search of three Israeli settlers who disappeared a week ago near the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, north of Hebron in the southern West Bank.

It has been raiding and searching homes in search of the missing teens amid violent clashes in which the Israeli army used bombs, tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition against Palestinians. No injuries have been reported.

Over the past week, nearly 250 Palestinians have been arrested by Israel, most of them are activists and leaders of Hamas. They also launched air strikes against Gaza and carried out several incursions into the besieged Strip, Human rights organisations reported.

No Palestinian party has claimed responsibility for the abduction of the settlers but the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he held Hamas responsible. The organisation rejected the accusation.