The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Authority and the Prisoners’ Club reported that the Israeli forces have arrested approximately 7,505 citizens from the West Bank since the onset of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, which started on October 7th. The reported arrest figures include both individuals who remain in custody and those who were later released.
The authorities emphasized that these arrest campaigns are among the most prominent and systematic policies employed by the Israeli forces. They also serve as a primary tool in the collective punishment policy, targeting citizens amidst the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people and the ongoing eradication in Gaza since October 7th.
Since yesterday, Israeli forces have detained at least 15 individuals from the West Bank, including former prisoners, across various provinces such as Nablus, Tubas, Ramallah, and Hebron. These arrests were accompanied by widespread incursions, acts of aggression, including severe beatings, threats against the detainees and their families, as well as extensive destruction of homes and infrastructure, particularly in the Tulkarm province.
The situation in the West Bank has been increasingly tense, with a significant rise in both settler violence and Israeli military raids. The United Nations has called on Israel to halt “unlawful killings” and settler violence in the area, highlighting a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation. The UN Human Rights Office’s report underscores a “sharp increase” in air strikes and military incursions, particularly into densely populated refugee camps, leading to numerous casualties, injuries, and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.
Settler violence, in particular, has seen a marked increase, with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noting a rise from an average of three incidents per day to seven. This period has witnessed 171 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in various casualties, damage to Palestinian properties, and increased harassment. The increased presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, alongside more severe movement restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, has further exacerbated tensions.
Moreover, over 820 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced due to this surge in violence and the imposition of movement restrictions following the escalation in Gaza and the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. The international community, including UN officials, has voiced deep concerns over these developments, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and an end to such violence to ensure the protection of Palestinian communities and uphold human rights.
