Israel arrests Palestinian rights lawyer who protested Abbas

A Palestinian human rights group says one of its lawyers was detained by Israeli forces after taking part in a protest in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

JERUSALEM -- A Palestinian human rights lawyer was detained by Israeli forces early Sunday after taking part in a protest in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his rights group said. The Independent Commission for Human Rights said Farid al-Atrash was detained at an Israeli checkpoint while returning from a protest against the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered. It said al-Atrash was transferred to Israel's Hadassah Hospital. Issa Amro, a prominent Palestinian activist and friend of al-Atrash, said he was released from the hospital hours later and was still being questioned by Israeli authorities. It's unclear why he was hospitalized. Neither the Israeli military nor the police responded to requests for comment.