Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Jordanian doctor Abdullah Salameh Al-Balawi as he was heading to the Gaza Strip as part of a medical relief mission, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.
The arrest took place on Thursday at the King Hussein Bridge, the border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank. Al-Balawi, a general surgeon at Al-Ruwaished Government Hospital, was part of a 12-member delegation organised by the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA). The organisation had obtained official Israeli approval for the trip.
Al-Balawi’s family said “the medical delegation was informed by the Israeli side that he was under arrest for investigation.”
The Israeli occupation police later informed the family that he was being held at Petah Tikva detention centre. Authorities provided no explanation for his arrest or the conditions of his detention, the family added.
The family promptly contacted Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which confirmed it was following up on the matter.
The family explained that “after communicating with the lawyer, they were informed that the detention was extended to Thursday, December 26, with a ban on meeting the lawyer since the first hour of arrest.”
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