Israeli authorities have detained two sisters of the late Saleh al-Arouri, a prominent Hamas leader who was killed in Lebanon earlier this month, according to Palestinian sources and the Israeli army on Sunday.
The assassination of al-Arouri, Hamas’ deputy chief, in a suburb of Beirut on January 2, was widely attributed to an Israeli drone strike, intensifying concerns that Israel’s conflict with Gaza could evolve into a broader regional crisis.
On Sunday, the Israeli army announced the detention of the two women in the occupied West Bank, citing their alleged involvement in “incitement to terrorism against the state of Israel,” without providing further details.
Awar al-Arouri, the brother-in-law of the late Hamas leader, disclosed that the two women, along with several other family members, were placed under “administrative detention.”
The Palestinian Prisoners Club, an advocacy group, reported that 52-year-old Dalal al-Arouri and 47-year-old Fatima al-Arouri were apprehended in separate locations near the city of Ramallah.
The Israeli army had previously accused al-Arouri of aiding in the planning of the October 7 attack in southern Israel by Hamas fighters from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 1,140 people, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
Since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the Gaza health ministry reports that at least 23,843 people, predominantly women and children, have lost their lives.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, 5,875 Palestinians have been detained in the West Bank since the commencement of the Gaza war, with 1,970 placed under administrative detention. This practice allows authorities to hold suspects without charge or trial for renewable periods of up to six months, purportedly to gather evidence and prevent potential security threats.
Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has occupied the West Bank, and the territory, excluding annexed East Jerusalem, is now home to approximately 490,000 Israelis residing in settlements deemed illegal under international law.
