Middle East

Israeli army arrests over 3,000 Palestinians in West Bank since Oct. 7: Statement

RAMALLAH — At least 3,000 Palestinians have been arrested by the Israeli forces in the West Bank since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, according to Palestinian statistics released on Tuesday.

In the past few hours, at least 40 Palestinians in the West Bank were detained by the Israeli army, according to a joint statement by the Palestinian Authority Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

The Israeli forces conducted the arrests in various places across the West Bank, including Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Jericho, while also raiding a number of residential homes, said the statement.

It added that among those arrested, some were apprehended at homes, some detained at military checkpoints, some coerced to surrender, and some taken hostage.

The statement noted that the Israeli army’s systematic arrest operations were intensified significantly in the area after Oct. 7, when Israel launched weeks-long attacks on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on the same day. — (Xinhua)