RAMALLAH

The number of Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank has risen to 7,060 since Oct. 7, following the Israeli army's arrest of 20 Palestinians, prisoner’s affairs groups said Saturday.

“The Israeli army arrested at least 20 citizens from the West Bank in the past 24 hours including a woman from Nablus, former prisoners, and members of the family of a Jerusalem martyr,” the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

Most of the arrests, according to the statement, took place in Hebron, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus, Jenin and Salfit.

The two groups pointed out “wide-scale acts of torture, brutal beatings, threats against prisoners and their families, in addition to widespread acts of sabotage and destruction in citizens' homes, and the confiscation of funds and vehicles.”

The number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails exceeds 9,000, including 3,484 administrative detainees and 606 classified as “non-regular fighters,” who are detainees from Gaza, according to data until the end of January from the two groups.​​​​​​​

Administrative detention is a measure of imprisonment under Israeli military orders alleging security threats without a charge sheet, extending for six months that is often renewed.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli attack has killed at least 28,858, injured more than 68,677 others and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. 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.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala