Israel arrests 25 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli army forces detained 25 more Palestinians in military raids carried out across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

Most of the arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jenin Tulkarm, Ramallah, and East Jerusalem, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

A child and a woman from the Gaza Strip were among the detainees, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,630 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 435 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,700 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza, which has killed more than 31,600 since last October.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi