An Italian activist who was arrested
during an Israeli army operation in a Palestinian refugee camp
early Monday was repatriated later in the day, well-informed
sources said.
The 50-ish woman, Stefania Costantini, reportedly engaged in aid
work, was flown back to Italy due a visa expiry after she was
arrested in the Dheisheh camp at Bethlehem, in the West Bank.
Italian diplomatic authorities, the consulate in Jerusalem and
the embassy in Israel are following the case.
Local sources, cited by Palestinian news agency WAFA, said that
"Israeli soldiers burst into the home of Palestinian journalist
Nidal Abu Aker, beat his son, who had just had a surgical
operation, and questioned his wife."
The IDF soldiers, WAFA went on, also burst into the home of Abu
Aker's elderly mother, where they reportedly found the Italian
activist and arrested her.
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