Israeli Occupation Forces Arrest 20 Palestinians in Raids across West Bank

The Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 20 Palestinians, including children and former detainees, in a series of raids carried out in the past 24 hours across the occupied West Bank. According to a joint statement by the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) and the Authority of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the arrests took place across several governorates of the West Bank, including Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Jerusalem, Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported. The raids were accompanied by extensive home invasions, abuse, and widespread destruction of property, according to the statement. Since Oct. 7, the total number of Palestinians arrested in the West Bank has risen to over 8,875. This figure includes those detained from their homes, at military checkpoints, those who surrendered under pressure, and those held as hostages, the statement added. The statement emphasized that the arrest campaigns are a key systematic policy used by the Israeli occupation forces. They s erve as a primary tool of collective punishment, which has become central to the occupation's strategy of targeting Palestinians amidst the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. Source: Qatar News Agency