RAMALLAH, West Bank, April 5 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – For the first time, Israeli occupation forces Friday stormed the house of Palestinian information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, locked him and his family up for an hour, and left after searching the house.
"I am not under arrest," Abed Rabbo said, denying rumors he had been apprehended by the troops who invaded his house in El-Bireh, near the besieged West Bank city of Ramallah.
"They searched my house and then left," he said, adding the soldiers gave him no explanation for their act, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Israeli army declared the West Bank city a closed military zone Sunday and has since systematically combed the area for suspected resistance activists and arms, searching hundreds of houses and arresting dozens of people.
Friday night's incident in Abed Rabbo's home however, was the first time a minister's house had been searched by Israeli troops.
IslamOnline Correspondent in Ramallah reported that the Israeli troops stormed the Palestinian Education Ministry Thursday and stole $192,000, as well as checks and bonds worth $ 4 billions.
The Israeli soldiers damaged the building’s equipment, offices, computers, communication and tore up the Ministry’s papers and files.
The occupation forces also raided the Palestinian Legislation Council (Parliament) in Ramallah. The building was under restoration.
The curfew imposed by the Israeli army on the Palestinian cities and villages made it impossible to check the damaged buildings until late Friday.
With additional reporting by Ahmed al-Badry, IOL Correspondent
