By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army rounded up 20 more Palestinians in fresh military raids in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.
“The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, in addition to severe beatings against detainees and their families, and confiscation of money,” the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.
The new arrests brought the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023 to 7,325.
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 412 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,600 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.