Israel detains at least 130 Palestinians in sweeping West Bank arrest campaign

Israeli forces detained at least 130 Palestinians in a wide-ranging arrest campaign across the occupied West Bank, a prisoners’ affairs group said on Wednesday.

The campaign covered most West Bank governorates, with a heavy focus on the north, including Burin and Madama near Nablus, Aqqaba in Tubas, and Immatin in Qalqilya, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement. Two women, a child and former prisoners were among the detainees.

Many Palestinians were subjected to on-the-spot questioning and later released, while others were taken into custody, the group added.

Israeli forces have intensified arrests and field interrogations since the start of the year, at an unprecedented pace following the Gaza war, the group said, describing the campaign as part of a policy of collective punishment targeting broad segments of Palestinian society.