Israeli occupation forces detained more than 30 Palestinians in an overnight large-scale campaign in the neighborhood of Issawiyeh in occupied East Jerusalem, local sources said on Monday.

Israeli occupation forces and intelligence officers stormed the neighborhood at midnight and raided a large number of homes before detaining scores of people mostly minors, according to Raed Abu Riyaleh, a local activist.

He said a large force supported by a helicopter flying overhead raided the neighborhood after midnight from all entrances and broke into homes causing panic and fear among residents.

Mohammad Mahmoud, an attorney with Wadi Hilweh Information Center specialized in defending minors, said most of those detained were taken to several police stations and interrogation centers in Jerusalem.

He said he was able to visit most of those detained, who were all teenagers ranging in age between 15 and 18 years old. Israeli occupants is charging them with throwing stones at Israeli targets in the neighborhood, he said.

Israeli police confirmed the campaign and said 51 Palestinians were detained claiming they were involved in stone-throwing incidents at Israeli police.

The neighborhood residents have recently complained of police brutality and harassment of students that left a number of them injured including one who had to undergo surgery to remove his spleen after he was shot by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by the police.

Parents shut down schools for three days last week to protest excessive police life-threatening brutality against their children.

Source: MENA