2 US activists arrested by Israel in occupied West Bank, rights group says

Two US activists were arrested on Dec. 12 by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank while opposing the forced displacement of a Palestinian family, according to a statement from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Irene Cho, from New York, and Trudi Frost, from Boston, who were volunteering with the ISM, were detained in the village of al-Mughayyer, northeast of Ramallah, while staying with the Abu Hamam family, which the ISM said has faced "ceaseless harassment and assault at the hands of Israeli settlers and armed forces for over a year."

According to the movement, Israeli authorities revoked the activists' staying permits through a summary procedure and transferred them to Givon prison near the city of Ramla.

The ISM said the arrests came after Israeli forces claimed to present a "month-long military order sealing the area."

Maps accompanying the order, according to the ISM, did not include the Abu Hamam residence in the restricted zone, making the detentions unlawful.

The rights group said the two US activists are refusing to cooperate with deportation while their lawyers challenge the legality of the deportation orders. The activists are expected to face a custody review panel within 72 hours.