'Israel' arrested 8,165 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7
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The Palestinian detainees' and ex-detainees' affairs underline that the Israeli occupation's arrests in the West Bank are rising exponentially in light of a devastating crackdown in occupied Palestine.
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Israeli occupation forces outside the Israeli settlement of 'Maale Adumim', in the West Bank, February 5, 2024 (AP)
The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced in a joint report that the Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 20 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including former prisoners, between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
The report indicated that the arrests were concentrated in the Tulkarm governorate, while the rest of the arrests were distributed in the Beit Lahm, al-Khalil, Ramallah, Nablus, Tubas, and al-Quds governorates.
The arrests were accompanied by widespread abuse and severe beatings, threats against the detainees and their families, as well as extensive vandalism and destruction in the homes of citizens and the homes of prisoners in the occupation prisons.
According to the report, the number of arrests after the al-Aqsa storm rose to more than 8,165 in the West Bank, including those who were arrested from their homes, through military checkpoints, those who were forced to surrender under pressure, and those who were held hostage.
The data related to the arrests includes those who the occupation kept in detention and those who were later released.
The Israeli occupation is escalating its aggression against the West Bank, in parallel with its aggression against the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for 186 days.
Medical neglect, torture killed 2 Palestinian detainees: Israeli media
On March 19, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz published the forensic findings regarding two Palestinian detainees who were martyred in Israeli prisons following Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.
According to the outlet, 21-year-old administrative detainee Mohammad al-Sabbar was martyred in February due to Israeli medical neglect, as he had been suffering from a severe illness without receiving adequate medical attention.
Meanwhile, bruises found on the body of Abdulrahman al-Bahsh, 23, indicate possible torture he was subjected to during his time in Israeli prisons.
Al-Sabbar had been detained since May 2022 and had been denied medical treatment in the Israeli prison despite suffering from stomach- and intestines-related health issues, requiring specialized treatment and specific dietary needs.
Palestinian organizations focusing on detainees' rights have accused "Israel" of committing two crimes against al-Sabbar; his continued arbitrary detention under a "secret file" pretext and a medical crime involving denial of treatment. He was the eighth detainee to die in Israeli custody since October 7, 2023.
Abdulrahman al-Bahsh, from Nablus, was martyred in the Israeli "Megiddo" prison, where he had been detained since May 31, 2022, with a 35-month sentence. He was the first detainee to die in Israeli prisons in 2024.
