Palestinian man dies one hour after arrest by Israeli forces in West Bank

Israeli forces on Monday gave back the body of a Palestinian man to health authorities just one hour after he was detained in the occupied West Bank.

Fifty-eight-year-old Ayman Rajeh Abed, from the village of Kafr Dan near Jenin, was arrested at dawn on Monday, Al-Jazeera reported.

His body was received shortly afterwards by the Palestine Red Crescent Society and it showed signs of beatings and torture, according to the director of the Jenin Government Hospital.

The Israeli army claimed that he had been detained in a "counterterrorism" operation and suffered a "cardiac event".

It said that the incident was "under review", alleging that "the suspect died during his evacuation by the Red Crescent".

Israeli forces are continuing an attack on Jenin and surrounding villages for a sixth day, with bulldozers destroying roads and infrastructure.

Israel launched a major attack on the West Bank last Wednesday, claiming that this was to forestall an operation by “Iranian-backed” Palestinian fighters against Israeli settlements and civilian targets.

Nearly 1,000 Israeli troops, backed by drones and helicopters, have taken part in the attack, and at least 29 Palestinians have been killed.

Israel says most of those killed were members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad but civilians have been killed as well.

Another 121 people have been wounded, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israeli violence has increased in the West Bank since the Gaza war began last October, with at least 640 Palestinians killed, according to UN figures. At least 10,000 Palestinians have also been detained.

Many detained Palestinians have suffered torture, abuse and deliberate starvation in Israeli custody with some appearing emaciated and shocked on release.