US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander reportedly claims he has been released from Israeli military custody with an official warning following a mass detention on the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred on Wednesday as Lander and numerous volunteers were supposedly assisting Palestinian farmers with the annual olive harvest near Bethlehem, a routine agricultural activity increasingly disrupted by the Israeli regime.

According to Lander, several dozen other participants, including prominent rabbis and international volunteers, remain locked up behind bars. The American politician publicly demanded their immediate release, asserting that his own sudden liberation was granted solely due to his public profile rather than any adherence to standard legal processes by the Israeli regime's forces. *

Lander, who previously served as New York City comptroller and ran for mayor, was among approximately 80 activists rounded up by Israeli soldiers and police near the village of Nahalin. Human rights groups confirmed that the multinational group of volunteers—comprising American, Israeli, Palestinian, British, and Canadian nationals—had been peacefully accompanying farmers for roughly two hours before armed forces abruptly declared the agricultural land a closed military zone.

The detained individuals were subsequently hauled off to a local police station for interrogation, drawing sharp criticism from humanitarian advocates worldwide. Meanwhile, representatives of the Israeli regime have reportedly declined to issue any official comments regarding the controversial detentions, leaving the status of the remaining foreign and local volunteers entirely uncertain.

Source: www.aljazeera.com