Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces conducted one of the largest raids this year when it arrested 45 Palestinians from Occupied East Jerusalem’s Al Eisawiyah neighbourhood on Monday.
While the reason for the raid was unclear, it coincided with planned celebrations for prominent lawyer, Sherine Al Eisawi, who was released from Israeli prison last week after serving four years behind bars.
Palestinians had ignored Israel’s warnings over celebrating her return, put up posters and erected a tent to receive visitors upon her release.
The occupation forces removed the pictures and tore down the welcome tent.
Sherine was among the dozens arrested.
Israeli forces routinely raid Al Eisawiyah and clashes between rock-throwing Palestinian youth and occupation soldiers are common place.
Israel captured and occupied Jerusalem in 1967 and have been exerting massive efforts to Judaise it and erase Palestinian and Muslim heritage from the holy city.
Israel wants an undivided Jerusalem as its eternal capital while the Palestinians want the eastern part of the holy city as the capital of a Palestinian future independent state.
Israel has suffocated Palestinians residents in the city, demolished homes while Jewish groups have routinely raided Al Haram Al Sharif, Islam’s third holiest site.
The Israeli incitement sparked a wave of violence that began on October 2015, and has continued ever since.
Since then the city has experienced sporadic shootings, ramming by vehicles and stabbings of Israeli soldiers in various lone wolf attacks.
Further clashes erupted after the Israeli occupation forces placed metal detectors at the entrances of Al Haram Al Sharif.
These devices were later removed after Palestinians protested the draconian measures.
Palestinians say that Israel, annoyed at the Palestinian victory, has been seeking revenge by punitively punishing the city’s Palestinian residents.
