Israeli forces detained two field workers for Israeli human rights group B’Tselem in the occupied Palestinian city of Hebron in the southern West Bank on Sunday, the group reported, adding that one of them had since been released while the other remained in Israeli custody.
According to a Hebrew-language statement by the organisation, Manal al-Jaabari and Moussa Abu Hashhash, two field researchers for B’Tselem, were detained at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City while filming “severe restrictions on Palestinian movement” in the area, the NGO said.
Al-Jaabari was initially detained by Israeli border police and taken to an Israeli police station in the nearby illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, B’Tselem said, adding that she was interrogated over suspicions of “disturbing a police officer carrying out their duties.”
Israeli forces detain 2 B'Tselem field researchers in Hebron #WestBankhttps://t.co/B12lpvBnHv pic.twitter.com/HJGcVIab0P
— #FreePalestine ?? (@Taghreeba) June 18, 2017
B’Tselem added that Abu Hashhash arrived to the Ibrahimi Mosque checkpoint later in the afternoon to document Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in the area, and was detained on the scene for 40 minutes without being interrogated before Israeli forces released him.
The human rights NGO added that both al-Jaabari and Abu Hashhash were prevented from contacting B’Tselem during their detention.
Palestinians working with B’Tselem have regularly been threatened by both Israeli forces and settlers for their work.
(Maan, PC, Social Media)
