Nablus, 10:30 PM – According to PMRS volunteers, the detained men have been released. I’ve just returned from the El-Ein camp where a group of internationals was monitoring the situation. The pictures below were taken by an Italian volunteer that has been working with ISM Nablus. According to Adam Hanieh of Sumoud, the photos "illustrate typical treatment of Palestinians arbitrarily detained by the Israeli army (hooding and shackled). Over 20,000 Palestinians have been detained during mass, arbitrary arrests in the West Bank over the last 2 years." The presence of the white DCO jeep in the vicinity of the men is an indication that senior commanders in the Israeli occupation force are complicit in such abuses. For a comprehensive report on the violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by the Israeli military with respect to detainees and prisoners, click here for a recently released report prepared by Sumoud in partnership with the Adameer Prisoners' Support and Human Rights Association.


Nablus, 1:30 PM - This is a quick alert to update you on the current situation in Nablus. Today, marks the fourth day since the IDF re-invaded the city and imposed a curfew over the Old City, the surrounding neighborhoods and the El Ein refugee camp – ostensibly to locate Qassam-like rockets, which according to Haaretz, quoting military sources, were tested in Balata on August 7th (the claim is absurd for people who’re living in the camp though, after all it’s not like it would be easy to miss the fact that missile testing was going on in such cramped conditions!). Since the invasion began, one house in the Jasmeena Quarter of the casbah was demolished, two civilians have been killed, and dozens injured (PMRS figures put the casualties at slightly over 30). The IDF has been carrying out house-to-house searches, entering and trashing hundreds of homes, as well as occupied dozens of houses over the last few days. One of those killed on Tuesday was 10 year old Khaled Al-Kutsa, who was shot in the Old City by IDF fire. The most recent news, confirmed by credible eyewitnesses on the scene, is that the IDF has rounded up all the men between the ages of 14 to 40 in the El-Ein Refugee Camp and is holding them in the UNRWA run school inside the camp. Please contact the Nablus DCO (+ 972 2 548-6218) to lodge your protest against the IDF’s unlawful actions and to demand the immediate release of the Palestinian men currently being detained in El-Ein.