Israeli forces detain 16 Palestinians, 'brand detainees with numbers' in West Bank

Israeli forces detained at least 16 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank late on Friday night, including children and former prisoners, the Wafa news agency reported.

Prisoner rights groups, including the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees and the Prisoners’ Society released a joint statement which said the arrests took place in Ramallah, Nablus, Tubas, Hebron and Salfit.

Reports added that Israeli forces also conducted a large-scale incursion into the Al-Fawwar camp, located south of Hebron, carrying out interrogations and vandalising homes.

Meanwhile, multiple reports said Israeli forces arrested Palestinians in the West Bank town of Dura, where people were blindfolded, handcuffed and branded with a number on their forehead.

This comes after the Israeli army on Friday said it carried out a raid in the West Bank, "killing several militants" in what aid groups have denounced, highlighting the damage caused to civilian infrastructure.

The Israeli army did not specify the number of people killed in the raids but announced they had engaged in "close-quarters combat" in the Nur Shams area, located on the outskirts of Tulkarem.

Wafa reported at least five Palestinians were killed in the area. Other reports stated gunfire could be heard in the streets.

Philippe Lazzarini, the director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), condemned the recent Israeli attacks on the West Bank.

He added that the UNRWA office in the Nur Shams camp had been severely damaged and can no longer be used.

"It was the hub to deliver basic services to more than 14,000 Palestine Refugees in the camp, including learning for children, health, sanitation & social protection," he wrote.

"During the Israeli military operation, roads, water + electricity networks were also destroyed in the camp," he added.

According to Palestinian prisoner rights groups, Israeli forces have detained at least 11,500 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023.

Meanwhile, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 43,314 Palestinians and wounded over 102,019 since 7 October 2023. The war on the Strip has devastated entire neighbourhoods and plunged it into a deep humanitarian crisis.