Ramallah: From yesterday evening until Monday morning, the Israeli occupation forces detained at least 25 Palestinians from the West Bank.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the detentions took place mainly in the cities of Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem.
The Commission of Detainees' and Ex-Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) reported that the occupation forces have been continuing their operations against the Jenin and Tulkarm Governorates for weeks, accompanied by ongoing detention and field investigations. Since the beginning of the invasion, the number of detainees in Jenin and its refugee camp has reached 480, while in Tulkarm and its two refugee camps, the number of detainees has reached 230. This figure includes both those currently detained and those who have been released, encompassing all categories of prisoners, particularly young men.
It is noteworthy that the occupation has adopted a series of policies in areas where aggression has escalated, including field executions, assassinations, and systematic field investigations affecting many families. Additionally, citizens have been detained as hostages, and homes have been converted into military barracks after forcing their owners to leave.
The occupation forces frequently conduct raids on Palestinian houses across the West Bank, claiming to search for 'wanted' Palestinians, which often leads to clashes with residents. These raids are conducted without a search warrant, at any time and place, in line with the military's arbitrary powers. Under Israeli military law, army commanders have full authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank, who have no say in how this power is exercised.
According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, there are currently 9,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 350 children and 21 women. This number includes approximately 3,405 Palestinians placed under 'administrative detention', which allows detention without charge or trial based on undisclosed evidence.
The mass arrest of Palestinians has been a longstanding issue. A 2017 report by Addameer indicated that over the past 50 years, more than 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned or detained by Israel, with current estimates closer to 1 million. This means that about 40% of Palestinian men and boys living under military occupation have experienced imprisonment, affecting nearly every Palestinian family.