Israel detains 18 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army on Sunday detained at least 18 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to a joint statement by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since 7 October, 2023 to 8,775.

The arrests mainly took place in the cities of Tulkarm, Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

During the Israeli arrest campaigns, the Israeli forces beat and abused Palestinians and damaged their homes and properties, the statement also said.

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 7 October.

More than 500 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,000 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.

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