Israeli army arrests 44 Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Mahmoud Barakat

ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli military on Thursday conducted raids in the occupied West Bank, detaining at least 44 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The detainees included 19 workers from Gaza who reside in the Tulkarm province.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

The Israeli army has since detained more than 3,640 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Wafa.

Before the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails was estimated at around 5,200, including more than 1,000 held under Israel's notorious administrative detention policy without charge or trial.