Israeli army arrests 25 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli army forces rounded up 25 more Palestinians in overnight raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Thursday.

Two children were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement

The arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah and East Jerusalem, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,725 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October, 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, 2023.

At least 445 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, where nearly 32,000 people have been killed.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul