2 months of Gaza war: West Bank faces onslaught of Israeli aggression, arrests

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) — Nearly two months have passed since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack into Israel by Gaza-based resistance group Hamas. During this period, relentless Israeli strikes and ground attacks have killed at least 16,248 Palestinians and injured more than 43,000 others in the enclave.

The only pause in the onslaught came on Nov. 24, lasting a week during which humanitarian aid was allowed into the besieged strip of land, while 105 hostages held in Gaza by Hamas were swapped for 240 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

The short-lived relief came to an end last Friday, as renewed Israeli attacks continued pummeling Gaza’s governmental official buildings, health facilities, and schools, including several affiliated with the UN that displaced civilians had been using as shelters.

While this went on, Israeli authorities have stepped up arrests of Palestinians in the occupied territories, namely the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Over 3,600 individuals have been detained in these areas since Oct. 7 for an overall total of about 7,800.

Palestinian detainees are typically imprisoned over allegations of hurling stones at Israeli forces, and are frequently arrested during demonstrations or marches in Palestine, according to Raed Mohammed Mahmood Amer, president of the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

“On a daily basis, Palestinian cities, villages and camps are raided, during which dozens are arrested.

“The raids include sabotage operations, house searches, and detainees being assaulted during the arrest operations and transporting them to investigation and detention centers,” Amer told Anadolu in an interview.

Noting that Israel had arrested a “large number of young men from the cities of the West Bank” even as the assault on Gaza continued, he said the total was “many times the number of those released” in the humanitarian pause.

A total of 264 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since Oct. 7, in addition to more than 3,100 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Once in prison, many Palestinians face harsh practices, punishment, and assault inflicted by Israeli forces on both men and women detainees, with six killed so far as a result of torture and beatings since Oct.7.

Amer said “a number of them were subjected to assaults,” pointing to daily incursions into the detainees’ quarters by Israeli officials, who assaulted them in a “barbaric and inhuman manner.”

“All testimonies from the prisoners confirmed that those who were killed did not suffer from any diseases beforehand.”

While women and children were prioritized for release during the humanitarian pause, not all were let go. Israeli prisons still hold 33 women and 166 children.

Amer’s assertions on the abuse faced by Palestinian prisoners were also confirmed by Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian activist who was among those released during the swap.

“The circumstance in the prison is very difficult, with daily abuse against female prisoners. They are left without water or clothes, sleeping on the floor, and being beaten,” the 23-year-old told Anadolu after her release.

Also, a total of 2,873 are being held in administrative detention without charge or trial, usually due to suspected security concerns.

“As for the arrests in Gaza, there are a large number of people arrested by the Israeli occupation and taken to unknown places for investigation,” Amer said.

“Until now, we do not know the names and numbers due to the ongoing war,” he added, warning that their lives are in "real danger," considering that neither the Red Cross, nor other human rights institutions are allowed to visit them.