Israel detains 28 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank as tally tops 5,800

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army on Thursday detained 28 more Palestinians in military raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

“The arrests were marked by abuse, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, in addition to widespread acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes,” the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, the new arrests brought to 5,810 the number of Palestinians arrested by Israel in the West Bank since Oct. 7.

Figures released by the two groups last month showed that at least 8,800 Palestinians, including 80 women, were held at Israeli prisons.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas in which Israel says 1,200 Israelis were killed.

At least 23,357 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 59,410 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar