By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH (AA) – The Israeli army detained 20 more Palestinians in fresh military raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.
The arrests took place in the towns of Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jericho, and occupied East Jerusalem, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.
The new arrests brought to 7,585 Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, 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.
At least 433 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, which has killed more than 31,300 people.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala