15 more Palestinians detained in occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem

By Ikram Kouachi

The Israeli army on Friday detained 15 more Palestinians during raids across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

This brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since Oct. 7 to 6,940, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, the majority of the detentions took place in Ramallah, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jericho, and Jerusalem.

Israeli forces also beat, abused, and interrogated several Palestinians, as well as damaged their homes and other properties, it added.

In their annual report, both groups said there were 8,800 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails as of Dec. 31, 2023, including 80 women.

Last week, Official Israeli data transmitted by the Israeli Human Rights Defense Center HaMoked revealed the presence of about 9,000 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including administrative detainees.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas in which Israel says 1,200 Israelis were killed.

At least 27,947 Palestinians have been killed, including 12,000 children and 8,190 women, and 67,459 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi