by Stephen Lendman

On April 21, 2011 at 2:00AM, Israeli soldiers arrested Qatamesh at his brother's Ramallah home.

An hour earlier, his wife (Suha), daughter (Hanin), and two female relatives were held hostage to force his surrender.

At gunpoint, they forced Hanin to call him. When connected, a soldier threatened to hold his family hostage and destroy his house if he didn't surrender.

On May 2, in an Electronic Intifada article, Hanin recounted her ordeal, saying:

After breaking in and occupying their home, "(t)hey pointed their machine guns at us and told us they wanted to search the house."

"After a futile search, the soldiers went to the apartment right above ours whose owners - US citizens - were away. They knocked down the main door and wrecked the place."

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by Stephen Lendman

Since 1967, Israel established 121 settlements, recognized by the Interior Ministry as "communities." Another 100 unauthorized outposts were built.

In addition, 12 annexed Jerusalem neighborhoods are considered settlements under international law. Moreover, settler enclaves exist in Palestinian East Jerusalem areas. They include:

• the Old City's Muslim Quarter;
• Silwan;
• Sheikh Jarrah;
• Mount of Olives;
• Ras al-'Amud;
• Abu Dis; and
• Jabal al-Mukabber.

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