LONDON: Israeli forces have detained 365 Palestinians in the occupied northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem since mid-January, according to a rights group affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society documented the arrest of 365 people following the Israeli launch of a military campaign in Jenin on Jan. 21, just days after a ceasefire and captives-exchange deal was reached with Hamas in Gaza.
The group said that during 35 days of Israeli operations in the Jenin refugee camp, at least 200 individuals were detained, while in Tulkarem, 165 people were arrested, including children, women and the elderly.
Israeli forces deployed tanks this week to the Jenin refugee camp after displacing nearly 20,000 people, along with another 20,000 Palestinians from Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, and said it planned to keep forces in these areas “for many months.”
The PPS said Israeli forces had turned Palestinian homes in Jenin and Tulkarem into military positions, deployed snipers on the rooftops of buildings and used bulldozers to destroy roads and infrastructure.
Some of those detained were subject to threats, beatings and field investigations, it said.
Since late 2023, nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 32 Israelis have died from Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period, according to official figures.
