Israel has more than doubled the rate at which it makes arrests across the occupied West Bank since it was attacked by Hamas militants from Gaza a month ago, an escalation that analysts say risks triggering wider unrest.
The Israeli military says the arrests are part of counterterrorism measures meant to stamp out Hamas’s West Bank network, in an effort to eradicate the U.S.-designated terrorist group following the unprecedented Oct. 7 assault from the Palestinian enclave.
More than half of those held since the attacks are associated with Hamas, said spokesmen from the Israeli military and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service.
Palestinians and rights groups say innocent people, including political figures, are being swept up by a broad detention campaign that is politically motivated and aimed at stifling dissent.
Persons:
Shin Bet
Organizations:
West Bank, Hamas’s West Bank
Locations:
Israel, Gaza, U.S