44 more Palestinians detained in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Israeli army on Thursday detained 44 more Palestinians during raids across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

The new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since Oct. 7 to 6,460, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

In the town of Husan near Bethlehem, 30 Palestinians, including 18 children, were rounded up, according to the statement.

The rest of the arrests took place in the cities of Nablus, Jenin, Jericho and Jerusalem, it added.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas in which Israel says 1,200 Israelis were killed.

At least 27,019 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 66,139 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio​​​​​​​