Israel detains 20 Palestinians from West Bank, bringing total arrests since Oct. 7 to 7,120

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army on Tuesday detained 20 more Palestinians from areas across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

According to a joint statement by the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since Oct. 7 to nearly 7,120.

The arrests mainly concentrated in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, and East Jerusalem.

During the Israeli arrest campaigns, the Israeli forces beat and abused Palestinians and damaged their homes and properties, the statement also said.

The two rights groups said earlier that the total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails exceeds 9,000, including 3,484 held under administrative detention with no trial or charge, and some 606 others classified as "unlawful combatants" arrested in Gaza.

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, 399 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed by the Israeli forces and settlers since Oct. 7, in addition to over 4,440 others injured.

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.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar