UPDATE - Israel arrests 120 Palestinians in West Bank raids: NGO

UPDATES NUMBER OF DETAINEES

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Amid continued airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have rounded up 120 Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank, a local nongovernmental organization said on Thursday.

“Former parliamentarians and Hamas leaders were among the detainees,” Amani Sarahneh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Prisoners Society, told Anadolu.

She said that since Oct. 7, around 870 Palestinians have been detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank.

There was no comment from the Israeli army on the report.

Tension escalated across the Palestinian territories amid a massive Israeli air campaign on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas group into Israeli border towns.

The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis, with no electricity, while water, food, fuel, and medical supplies are running out.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” to ease the “epic human suffering.”

At least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​