The Hamas spokesman was reportedly among dozens detained in the occupied West Bank

CNN
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a agitation The movement’s spokesman is reportedly among more than 60 members of the militant organization arrested by Israel in overnight raids across the West Bank, the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory that is increasingly feeling the impact of the fighting in Gaza.

In a separate context, a number of Palestinians were martyred, on Thursday, in an ongoing Israeli military operation in the Nour Shams refugee camp in the city of Tulkarm in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Hassan Youssef, a prominent Palestinian political figure who served as Hamas’s official spokesman in the West Bank, was arrested at his home, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an NGO that represents Palestinian detainees.

A statement by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said, “The occupation forces arrested the leader of the Hamas movement, Sheikh Hassan Yousef, from his home in Beitunia, as part of a large-scale arrest campaign in the occupied West Bank.”

Youssef was arrested by Israeli forces on several occasions and he spent a total of 24 years in Israeli prisons on various charges such as incitement, entering Jerusalem without permission, and because he is a member of the Hamas movement.

He has appeared regularly in international media, as he told Canadian media this week The Globe and Mail It was believed that Hamas would be willing to release an estimated 200 hostages it is holding if Israel agreed to a 24-hour ceasefire to allow aid into Gaza.

CNN reached out to the IDF for comment on the arrest of Hassan Yousef, but has not yet received any response.

The Israeli army said that the Israeli security forces carried out an operation.

“After widespread counter-terrorism activity during the night in Judea and Samaria [the Jewish biblical names for the West Bank]More than 80 wanted suspects were arrested, including 63 Hamas terrorist activists.”

A total of 850 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since Hamas’ brutal attack inside Israel on October 7, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. They are said to include lawmakers, prominent figures, journalists and former detainees who spent long periods in Israeli prisons.

Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, told CNN, “There is a large-scale Israeli operation to arrest Palestinians.”

“Every night, they make more and more arrests. Al-Barghouthi added that the number of Palestinian prisoners in the occupation prisons now reaches 6,300. “They have not been charged, nor have they been brought to court. There are no proper legal procedures, and this is what they call administrative detention, including at least 200 children who are now in Israeli prisons.”

The Israeli campaign comes as the conflict in Gaza increasingly extends into the West Bank.

A number of Palestinians were killed today, Thursday, by Israeli occupation forces’ bullets in the West Bank, according to what the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced. The ministry told CNN that it had confirmed the deaths of six people, and that the death toll was likely to rise. There were reports of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in a number of locations.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said that its crews are trying to reach the injured in Nour Shams, adding that “there are difficulties in reaching some of the injured, and ambulances with wounded inside them are being held by the occupation forces.” [Israeli] occupation forces.”

CNN contacted the Israeli army to respond to this allegation.

Since Israel took control of the West Bank and occupied it in 1967 from Jordan after the Six-Day War, the area, which residents hope will form part of a future Palestinian state, has been settled partly by Israeli civilians, often under Israeli military protection.

Most of the world considers these settlements illegal under international law, but successive Israeli governments have nonetheless pledged to support them.

Israel considers the West Bank a “disputed area” and asserts that its settlement policy is legal.

This is a developing story and will be updated.