Israel arrests 40 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – At least 40 Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

Four women were among the detainees, including one journalist, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

Most of the arrests took place in the cities of Ramallah, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jenin, and Qalqilya, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,490 Palestinians, who were detained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

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

At least 420 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 4,600 others injured by Israeli fire, 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, where at least 30,800 people have been killed.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul