Israel arrests 22 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army detained 22 more Palestinians in military raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A journalist and two children were among the detainees in the raids that targeted the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, East Jerusalem, and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

“The arrests were marked by abuse, threats against detainees and their families, and acts of vandalism and destruction on citizens' homes,” the statement said.

The new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since October last year to over 11,200, including those who were released after being arrested, according to Palestinian figures.

The figure, however, doesn't include detainees from the Gaza Strip whose numbers are estimated to be in the thousands.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

At least 749 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,200 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar