Israeli army arrests 40 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, Palestine

At least 40 Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in overnight military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Thursday.

Three women were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

The arrests took place in the cities of Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Tubas, Bethlehem and Hebron, the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 8,030 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October, according to Palestinian figures.

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, 2023.

At least 456 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,750 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 (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza, where more than 33,000 people have been killed.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala