TEL AVIV, October 30. /TASS/. Israeli security forces detained 38 activists of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas in overnight raids in the West Bank, the army said in a statement.
"Last night, 51 wanted persons were detained in Judea and Samaria (the Israeli name for the West Bank - TASS) during a large-scale operation to search for wanted terrorists and confiscate weapons, of which 38 are supporters of the organization Hamas," the statement reads.
According to the army, "1,070 wanted persons, including 700 people associated with the terrorist organization Hamas, have been detained since the start of military activities."
Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7 after militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border communities and taking people, including women, children and the elderly, hostage. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and launched ground operations in the enclave, also carrying out air strikes on targets in the Strip, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.