The Israeli occupation authorities arrested, Tuesday evening, two merchants as they left the Gaza Strip from Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.
Local sources reported that the occupation authorities informed the Palestinian association of the arrest of Abd al-Karim Sami Abd al-Karim Abu Sa`da, 32, and Ahmad Muhammad Eid Subuh, 48.
Abdel Nasser Farwana, a researcher in the affairs of prisoners, said that the arrest of these two merchants raises the number of citizens who were arrested from the Erez crossing since the beginning of this year to (5) citizens, including (4) merchants. He pointed out that the incident "shows the determination of the occupation authorities to make the aforementioned crossing a trap for citizens and a place for psychological torture and an instrument of pressure and blackmail and sometimes bargaining."
Farwana explained that there are targeting traders who move through the Erez crossing, where a number of them were arrested, others were detained for long hours and many were forced to wait at the aforementioned crossing before they were allowed to continue crossing in light of the Israeli claim to take measures to facilitate the movement and travel of traders and increase the permits for this segment to travel through The said crossing.
He pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities arrested about 13 citizens of the Gaza Strip last year from the Beit Hanoun / Erez crossing, including 9 merchants.
