Israel killed two Palestinians, arrested 280 in February

The Israeli forces are reported to have killed two Palestinians and arrested 280 more, including 36 children, across the Palestinian territories last month, a human rights centre reported.

The Ahrar Centre for Human Rights Studies, a Palestinian NGO, said in its monthly report that Jihad Al-Jaafari, a 20-year-old from Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, was killed after Israeli forces’ stormed the camp, while Naji Khalid Abu-Sableh, 20, was killed when an explosive device left by the Israeli forces detonated in the Gaza Strip.

The centre documented the arrest of 280 Palestinians including 36 children across the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

According to the centre, the Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinian women from East Jerusalem, including a journalist.

The Israeli forces arrested female university student, Yaman Amarna, 21 years old and from Yabad in Jenin, while crossing the Zatara military checkpoint between Nablus and Ramallah.

According to the report, Hebron witnessed the highest number of arrests with 67, followed by Jerusalem with 57 detainees, Ramallah with 46, Nablus with 42, Jenin with 19, and Bethlehem with 17.

Nine people were arrested in Tulkaram, while seven were detained in Qalqilya, six in Jericho and three Palestinians in Salfit.

The centre also reported the arrest of at least nine Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The detainees were arrested while attempting to climb the barbed wire fence that separates Gaza from Israel. Meanwhile, a Palestinian merchant was arrested while passing through an Israeli crossing.

Fouad Al-Khafash, director of the Ahrar Centre, said Israeli forces continue their detention policy against Palestinian civilians without taking their age or gender into consideration.

Khafash said the situation of the nearly 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails continues to deteriorate as they are deprived of their rights.