The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continue to escalate their arrest campaigns in the West Bank, coinciding with the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip for the 279th day in a row.
Since October 7, 9,625 Palestinians have been rounded up by the IOF troops across the West Bank.
Over the course of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the IOF troops carried out a massive campaign of raids, searches, and arrests throughout the West Bank, along with widespread sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, as well as sabotaging infrastructure. Detainees and their families were also subjected to severe beatings, torture, and threats during the raids. 15 Palestinians were detained during the raids, including a woman and ex-prisoners.
The detainees included those who were arrested in home raids, at military checkpoints, and those who were forced to surrender themselves under threat of their family arrest, in addition to those who were held hostage, those who were kept in detention, and those who were later released.
The pace of raids and arrests witnessed by the cities of the occupied West Bank has increased, coinciding with the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression against the Gaza Strip since October 7, which has left tens of thousands dead and wounded.
Since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which claimed thousands of victims, the IOF has escalated its arrest campaigns in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
These arrests amount to a blatant infringement on people’s fundamental rights, including their freedom and sense of security, as well as their right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The Israeli arrests also violate the right to personal freedom and the right to a fair trial, as detainees are held without legal evidence and valid judicial warrants.
Human rights organisations and the international community must put pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to stop these violations and ensure respect for human rights.