By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - At least 20 Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank late Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.
Most of the arrests took place in the cities of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Salfit, Tulkarm, and Jenin, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The new arrests brought to 7,820 the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Palestinian figures.
At least 453 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 4,750 others injured by Israeli fire, according to the Health Ministry.
Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, killing over 32,000 people.
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 Mohammad Sio in Istanbul