West Bank – Hundreds of Palestinians are being detained weekly by Israeli forces across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. The organization stated that those detained often face interrogation and mistreatment, with the majority subsequently released.
The Israeli military acknowledged the arrest of 40 Palestinians in the past week. A statement from the army detailed the arrests, including those made during an ongoing military operation that began earlier this week in the northern West Bank. The statement further claimed that 12 of those detained are affiliated with Hamas.
The Prisoner’s Society elaborated that the weekly detentions often involve field interrogations and instances of abuse, with many detainees released after a few hours or days. Amani Sarahneh, Media Director at the Prisoner’s Society, noted that the Israeli army typically only reports on actual arrests – those individuals who remain in custody and face charges.
Sarahneh emphasized that official figures do not account for the full extent of the issue, failing to include instances of home raids, property damage, and detentions lasting several hours or days. She further stated that while the army reports only dozens of arrests weekly, the organization has documented 162 detentions in the Tubas Governorate alone since the start of the recent operation earlier this week.
The Prisoner’s Society also reported that field interrogations often involve severe beatings, incitement, and threats, in addition to property destruction and theft. Since Wednesday, Israeli forces have continued a military operation in Tubas and surrounding towns, raiding numerous homes and converting some into military outposts, causing significant property damage.
While the Israeli military asserts that the operation aims to target militants, Palestinian observers have raised concerns about unstated objectives, including further territorial expansion.
