DUBAI, February 14. /TASS/. The number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, has passed 7,000, Al Jazeera said, citing a report by the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

According to the document, there are over 220 women and about 440 children among those detained. At least eight Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons.

"The ongoing arrest campaigns since October 7 has been accompanied by escalating crimes and violations, including: acts of abuse, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their families, in addition to widespread sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, confiscation of vehicles, money, and gold jewelry," the report said.

There were more than 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons in total as of the end of December 2023.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7, 2023, 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 hostage. In response, Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza, started carrying out strikes on targets in the Strip, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria, and launched a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.