PA carries out mass arrests of Islamic Jihad members

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement accused the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday of carrying out a mass arrest campaign against its members in the occupied West Bank, Quds Press has reported. Furthermore, said the movement, PA security officers also violate the rights of its members’ families.

Islamic Jihad blamed PA President Mahmoud Abbas for targeting its members and leaders. It called for urgent action by all of the Palestinian factions, human rights groups and mass media to “expose the aggressive violations of the PA security services against Palestinian citizens.” It claimed that the PA is also targeting the sons of martyrs, resistance activists and people freed from Israeli jails.

Amongst those arrested by the PA, said the movement, was Islamic Jihad’s leader in Ramallah, Ahmed Al-Owri, who was detained following a raid on his house.

In Qalqiliya, former prisoner Ali Shawahneh was arrested; he was married just a couple of weeks ago. Another ex-prisoner of the Israelis, Majd Horani, has also been detained by the PA.

In Hebron, the Palestinian security agencies arrested Malik Abu-Jhisheh, and warned the father of former hunger striker Thaer Halahleh not to organise any celebration when his son is released by the Israelis.