Israel intensifies mass arrests in the West Bank
Israel intensifies mass arrests in the West Bank
TEHRAN – Israeli regime forces have arrested more than 100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, those detained include women, children, and former prisoners.
The organization said these arrest campaigns coincide with the occupation regime’s declared decision to increase the pace of arrests at the start of Ramadan. It added that recent settler attacks have provided the primary cover for carrying out widespread arrest operations across the West Bank.
In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated that the arrests have taken place in most West Bank governorates, including al-Quds (Jerusalem). The city, it noted, witnesses large-scale arrest campaigns during Ramadan, most of which result in detainees being banned from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The group also said that Israeli occupation forces continue to escalate field interrogations as part of collective retaliatory measures targeting all segments of Palestinian society. These measures have affected tens of thousands of people since the beginning of the genocidal war in Gaza.
It added that the abuse accompanying field interrogations is no less severe than the mistreatment and torture reported during formal arrests.
The statement highlighted a range of crimes and violations that routinely accompany arrest operations. These include severe beatings; organized intimidation against detainees and their families; widespread vandalism and destruction of homes; confiscation of vehicles, money, and gold; destruction of infrastructure; demolition of prisoners’ family homes; the taking of family members as hostages; the use of detainees as human shields; and the carrying out of field executions.
Critics accuse the regime of using arrests as a cover to expand settlement activity in the West Bank, with the support of settlers who are the main tool for imposing a new reality on the ground, particularly following decisions aimed at annexing the territory.
The current measures by Israeli regime authorities are an extension of a long-standing policy aimed at undermining Palestinian presence and imposing further measures of repression, control, and surveillance.
The only change since the start of the Gaza genocide has been the increased intensity of the regime’s crimes, both those accompanying arrests and those committed against prisoners inside prisons and military camps.
The regime's systematic arrest campaigns are now one of the most entrenched daily policies historically implemented against Palestinians. The number of arrests in the West Bank since the beginning of the genocidal war on Gaza has reached approximately 22,000.
Thousands of prisoners who had hoped for release through exchange deals have seen their expectations shattered, along with those of their families, by the intransigence of the occupation regime, the arrogance of its political backers, the silence of the international community, and the paralysis of its institutions.
Recently, Itamar Ben-Gvir and his entourage stormed Ofer Prison near Ramallah. Footage broadcast by Hebrew media shows armed officers stationed outside the prisoners’ sealed cells, aiming automatic weapons through the door openings and appearing ready to fire. The video ends at that point, making it unclear what happened afterward.
For Palestinian mothers, daily news bulletins now carry the unbearable possibility that their imprisoned sons could be executed at any moment.
Since assuming office in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir has been accused of escalating punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners, introducing increasingly harsh conditions, tightening restrictions, and presiding over policies that families describe as systematic humiliation and deprivation.
Relatives say some detainees have lost so much weight due to daily abuse that they are now barely recognizable. Meanwhile, arrest operations continue without pause.
source: tehrantimes.com