Israel army detains 22 more Palestinians during incursions into West Bank

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army continued incursions into several cities in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, detaining 22 more Palestinians and destroying several homes, as well as taking people's money and vehicles, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

Israeli soldiers conducted incursions in several areas of the occupied territory, including Hebron, Bethlehem, Tubas, Nablus, Jenin, and Jerusalem, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

With the latest arrests, the Israeli army has detained 6,115 Palestinians in its incursions into the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7.

During the incursions, Israeli soldiers not only detained Palestinians but also damaged homes and infrastructure and stole people's money and vehicles, the statement added.

In its recent annual report, prisoner affairs institutions indicated that the total number of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons until the end of 2023 amounted to about 8,800, including more than 80 women prisoners.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

A total of 370 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 4,200 others injured since then, according to officials.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 24,927 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 62,388 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi