RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli army forces rounded up 50 more Palestinians in overnight raids during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Thursday.

Several children, alongside former prisoners, were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

The arrests took place in the cities of Tulkarm, Tubas, Hebron, Beit Lahm and Jerusalem, the statement said.

The new arrests bring the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since last October to 8,218, according to Palestinian figures.

​​​​​​​Tensions have been 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 463 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,750 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 in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza, where over 33,600 people have been killed.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala