RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Israeli army on Wednesday detained 20 more Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

The arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tubas and Nablus, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

The new arrests brought the number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October to 8,535, according to Palestinian figures.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 492 Palestinians have since been killed and around 4,900 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which asked Israel to do more to prevent famine in Gaza, where over 34,500 people have been killed.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar