By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - At least 12 Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Thursday.
A child was among those taken into custody in the raids that took place in the cities of Tulkarm, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Hebron, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.
The new arrests brought to 8,455 the number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.
Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip which has killed more than 34,200 people following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
At least 489 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,900 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, 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.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul