Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Sunday kidnapped a Palestinian student at Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing, north of the Gaza Strip, while he was on his way to Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Prisoners Committee released a statement saying that the IOF arrested Mansour al-Safadi, 18, at Erez crossing while he was leaving the Gaza Strip to study at Al-Quds University (Abu Dis) in Jerusalem.

Al-Safadi, who holds an Israeli ID since his mother is a resident of Jerusalem, was staying with his father in Gaza where he got his high school certificate (Tawjihi), the committee said.

Al-Safadi’s father is ex-detainee Ebrahim al-Safadi, a representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Committee’s statement, this is the third time that al-Safadi has been arrested by the IOF. He was arrested twice before in Jerusalem over nonexistent charges.

Many Palestinian human rights groups have accused Israel of turning Erez crossing into a “trap” to blackmail and kidnap Palestinian citizens who use the border checkpoint to travel for study, treatment, or business.

 

Source: The Palestinian Information Center