Israeli Troops Attack Bethlehem and Ramallah Kidnapping 22 Palestinian Civilians

[tekisui]

Source: International Middle East Media Center

Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli army kidnapped 22 Palestinian civilians from the central West Bank city of Ramallah and the Southern West Bank city of Bethlehem during pre-dawn attacks on Wednesday.

In Ramallah Israeli troops kidnapped four civilians during house-to-house-search targeting Al Jalazon refugee camp located in the Northern part of the city.

Meanwhile another Israeli force attacked several parts of Bethlehem City and nearby Al Khader and Hussan villages and kidnapped 18 civilians, local sources reported.

Among those kidnapped from Bethlehem by the army were Mohammed Sabaten (18), Issa Sallah (15), and Sami Sabaten (19).

http://www.imemc.org/article/58254

[bunnies]

1. What exactly is the excuse for kidnapping children?

From the West Bank no less. What the hell is going on?!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. And what does this have to do with Hamas? n/t

[AnOhioan]

3. Adding fuel to the fire.

We'll show 'em all whose boss......this time. :sarcasm:

[oberliner]

4. Nice headline writing

Here's the same story from the Palestinian News Agency - WAFA:

IOF Arrests 22 Palestinians including 2 Children from West Bank

WEST BANK, December 31, 2008 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested, last night, twenty-two Palestinians including two children from the West bank cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Israeli troops arrested four Palestinians from Al-Jalazon Refugee Camp near Ramallah after breaking into and vandalizing their houses.

In the meantime, IOF units arrested eighteen Palestinians from Bethlehem, two of them were under 18 years old.

http://english.wafa.ps/?action=detail&id=12487

This is from the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency:

Israeli forces arrest five youths near Bethlehem

Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces arrested three Palestinian youths from the southern West Bank towns of Al-Khadr and Husan, near Bethlehem, on Wednesday morning, local sources said.

Israeli forces raided the town at dawn and ransacked several homes before seizing 17-year-old Haytham Sayil Issa, 17-year-old Builal Ali Sbeih and 16-year-old Issa Fayiq Salah, residents said.

In the Bethlehem-area village of Husan village, Israeli soldiers raided several houses overnight, seizing 23-year-old Sami Sabatein and 18-year-old Muhammad Sabatein, according to Palestinian Authority (PA) security sources.

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=34441

Neither of the sources mention why they were arrested, but they do not characterize it as a "kidnapping" as the source in the OP does. Presumably, if they were taken as part of a kidnapping then Ma'an and WAFA would have included that information.

[tekisui]

5. And, there was no mention, even in the story of an 'attack'.

Grain of salt needed.

[oberliner]

6. So why post the article?

It seems like you yourself are suggesting the source is somewhat dubious - why post it then?

[tekisui]

8. There is some truth to it.

I am just trying to assimilate info. I didn't see the other sources. I will try to be more judicious and thorough with future sensationalist headlines.

[oberliner]

9. Fair enough

There certainly is a lot of info out there of widely varying degrees of credibility.

Edit to add: I just don't like to see false information repeated as facts by others because they read it on DU.

[azurnoir]

10. What skillful parsing Oberliner

Ma'amn says seized only WAFA says arrested, being taken into custody without known cause can be called kidnapping if the PA police had "arrested" settlers in a similar manner kidnapping and more would be being shrieked from the headlines of every Israeli publication out there

[Statistical]

7. In related news: last year US LEOs "kidnapped" 14 mil, over 2 mil remain held against their will

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_29.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/02/28/DI2008022802960.html

The US is the most "kidnappiest" country in the world. Both short term (more commonly know as an "arrest") and Long Term (more commonly know as "prison").

[grassfed]

11. They're trying to provoke Iran into reacting before Obama's Inauguration Day