Israeli forces carried out massive detention raids in Palestinian communities in occupied East Jerusalem before dawn on Thursday, September 22, detaining at least 23 Palestinians and assaulting locals — including a minor. The day before, on Wednesday, demolition orders were delivered to dozens of Palestinian homes.

Jerusalem separation wall (Photo: Al Ittihad)

According to Ma’an Palestinian news agency, Israeli forces raided the Shuafat refugee camp in the Jerusalem district of the occupied West Bank as well as the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, located just south of Shuafat beyond Israel’s separation wall. Israeli forces reportedly raided Shuafat from several entrances and were deployed throughout the refugee camp’s narrow streets as a helicopter flew overhead.

The raids sparked clashes between youths of the camp and Israeli forces. Spokesperson of the Fatah movement in Jerusalem, Thaer Fasfous, said that Israeli forces held some 15 youths near the entrance of the refugee camp during the clashes.

Israeli forces raided several homes belonging to the Alqam, al-Zalbani, Khashan, Abu Zneid, Diab, al-Walaji and Abu Odeh families, searching buildings and assaulting residents. The Fatah spokesperson added that clashes erupted in several areas in the refugee camp and continued for hours. During its raid Israeli forces assaulted, among others, 16-year-old Uday al-Dabet, severely bruising him.