By Awad Rajoub
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – At least 16 more Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.
A child and former prisoners were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.
The arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Tulkarm.
"The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, in addition to severe beatings of detainees and their families,” the statement said.
The new arrests brought to 7,755 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023.
Tensions have been running 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 450 Palestinians have since been killed and 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 more than 32,200 people have been killed.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi