Israeli army arrests 50 Palestinians in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army detained 50 Palestinians, including two women, in overnight raids on Tuesday in the occupied West Bank. Amani Sarahneh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the raids targeted Hebron province, where 50 citizens including two women were taken into custody. She emphasized that it was the largest detention campaign in the area this year.

According to Hamas leader Hassan Yousif, more than 40 group members were arrested during the raids. He said the arrests are part of "continuous attempts by the occupation to dissuade the movement from its role in the resistance against the occupation."

The Israeli army carries out frequent arrest campaigns across the West Bank – including in occupied east Jerusalem – on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians. They arrest Palestinians on a nearly daily basis, with some released after short investigations and others referred to Israeli courts. Several other reports released throughout the year have cast greater light on how problematic the arrests have become.

The situation’s gravity in the longer period was best demonstrated in a Middle East Monitor report of September 2018, in which it was found that the Israeli occupation forces had arrested 120,000 Palestinians since the Oslo Accords was signed by Palestinian Liberation Forces (PLO) and Israel in 1993.

About 2,000 women and more than 17,500 children have been detained since the Oslo Accords, according to the report. More than half of Palestinian deputies, a number of ministers, hundreds of academics and the staff of nongovernmental and international organizations have been arrested by Israeli forces over this period. Detentions take place under harsh conditions, the likes of which have led to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

According to Palestinian figures, some 4,300 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including 41 women and 160 minors. The Palestinian Prisoners Club, the Prisoners of Conscience and Human Rights Protection Organization had announced in a joint statement the deaths of 216 Palestinians in Israeli prisons since 1967. Among these, seven were shot, 72 others were tortured to death and 59 lost their lives due to lack of medical care. The statement noted that Palestinians in Israeli prisons were being subjected to "inhumane" treatment, including physical and psychological torture. Some 60% of the prisoners have suffered "brutal physical assaults." The statement also urged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch a special committee to probe Palestinian deaths in Israeli prisons.