Child, 7, among those detained, according to activist
The Israeli army detained 64 Palestinians, including children as young as 7, during a raid Monday in eastern Qalqilya in the northern West Bank.
The arrests occurred one day after Israel released 90 prisoners from custody under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, ending a 15-month genocide in the enclave.
Israeli forces entered the town of Azzun, forcing shop owners to close their businesses, journalist and activist Fares Al-Azzouni told Anadolu.
“The occupation forces stormed homes and a mosque, detaining 64 residents, including children,” said Al-Azzouni, adding that one was 7 years old.
Those who were detained were forced to lie face down in a public square before being herded and made to walk in a line with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them while looking downward, according to Al-Azzouni.
They were then taken to a military camp at the northern entrance of the town.
Clashes broke out during the raid, with Israeli forces firing live ammunition and tear gas in residential areas, according to the Palestinian activist.
He noted three residents were hospitalized after reportedly being beaten by Israeli soldiers at the northern entrance to Azzun Sunday evening.
A Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect Sunday, with the first phase set to last 42 days, during which negotiations will take place for the second and third phases, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US. The deal suspended the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian enclave.
Under the agreement, Hamas released three Israeli women in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were women and children.
Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, where at least 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 110,700 injured since Oct. 7, 2023.
Around 860 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,700 injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.
The International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal in July and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio
