Israel rounds up 15 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli forces detained 15 more Palestinians across the occupied West Bank late Saturday and early Sunday, according to prisoners’ rights groups.

“The Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 15 citizens from the West Bank, including journalist Sami Al-Shami and former prisoners,” the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The detentions took place in the governorates of Hebron, Nablus, Jericho, Jenin, and Ramallah, accompanied by widespread acts of abuse, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, they added.

With the latest figures, the total number of Palestinians detained since Oct. 7 has risen to 7,225, according to the statement.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied territory since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed some 1,200 people.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has left nearly 29,700 people dead.

In an interim ruling in January, the Hague-based court 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