Israeli army detains 45 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

By Awad Rjoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) — Israeli army forces rounded up 45 more Palestinians in overnight raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners' affairs groups on Saturday.

The arrests included worshippers exiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem after observing Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree), the holiest night for Muslims in the month of Ramadan, as well as others in the West Bank cities of Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jericho, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

Both organizations reported instances of “brutal beatings, threats against detainees and their families, and the destruction and demolition of citizens' homes” during the arrests.

This brought the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank to 8,080 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 459 Palestinians have since been killed and around 4,750 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 33,200 people have been killed.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul