RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Israeli army on Saturday detained at least 15 Palestinians from areas across the occupied West Bank, including the arrest of former detainees.

According to a joint statement by the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since Oct. 7, 2023 to 7,740.

The arrests mainly took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tubas, and Nablus.

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

According to figures by the two rights groups, the total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails exceeds 9,000, including 3,500 held under administrative detention with no trial or charge.

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 Oct. 7.

At least 449 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed by the Israeli forces and settlers since Oct. 7, in addition to over 4,750 others injured.

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 Ikram Kouachi