Ref: 05/2016
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli forces arrest of Issa Al-Ja’bari, the Former Palestinian Minister of Local Government, and Hatem Qafisha, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) representing the Change and Reform Bloc of Hamas Movement, after raiding their houses in Hebron yesterday. PCHR calls upon the international community and organizations to pressurize Israel to guarantee the immediate release of al-Ja’bari and Qafisha, in addition to other PLC members detained in the Israeli jails in order to allow them to perform their parliamentary roles.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 01:00 on Sunday, 24 January 2016, Israeli forces moved into al-Hariya valley neighborhood, south of Hebron. They deployed around a house belonging to Hatem Rabah Rashid Qafisha (56), PLC member representing the Change and Reform Bloc of Hamas Movement. The Israeli soldiers then raided the house, arrested Qafisha and took him to an unknown destination without searching the house.
Half an hour later, at approximately 01:30, Israeli forces arrested Engineer Essa Khairi Essa al-Ja’bari (49), a leader in Hamas movement and Minister of Local Government in the 10th Palestinian Government, from his house in Nemrah neighborhood in Hebron. The Israeli soldiers blew up the main gate of a building and raided al-Ja’bari’s apartment, which is located on the second floor of the aforementioned building. They then arrested al-Ja’bari and took him to an unknown destination as well.
Earlier at approximately 12:20, masked persons set fire to Qafisha’s Mitsubishi Pajero jeep that was parking in the house yard. The perpetrators have not been identified yet.
PCHR denounces the arrest of al-Ja’bari and Qafisha, and:
