Over 2,550 Palestinians arrested in West Bank since beginning of war: IDF

Jerusalem: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has arrested more than 2,550 people in the West Bank since the war with Hamas erupted in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

In a statement issued on Monday, the IDF saidthat about 1,300 of the detainees were members of the militant group, reports Xinhua news agency.

On the night between Sunday and Monday, the IDF, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), and the Border Police arrested 10 wanted people throughout the West Bank and confiscated many weapons, according to the statement.

The arrests were made in the town of Qatanna near Jerusalem, in the village of Beit Iba located near the city of Nablus, and in the town of Bani Na'im near the city of Hebron, it said.

The IDF also said that "terror" funds were confiscated in another Israeli operation in Hebron.

Since October 7, at least 307 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The victims include 79 children.

This overall death toll represents over 60 per cent of all Palestinians killed in the West Bank in 2023.

With a total of 506 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005.