Israeli Army: 220 Palestinians Arrested in West Bank

The Israeli army announced that it has arrested 220 wanted Palestinians, including 130 affiliated with Hamas, in the West Bank since the onset of recent conflicts. The Times of Israel reported on Friday, October 13, citing the army, that 32 Hamas members, including some senior members of the group, were arrested in the city of Hebron in the West Bank last night. Following the attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hamas on southern Israel on October 6, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and injuries to at least 3,300, Israel declared war. In recent days, the Israeli army has targeted the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with several Israeli forces deployed in areas of the West Bank. The Times of Israel also reported several 'terrorist attacks' and clashes between Israeli army forces and Palestinians in the West Bank in recent days. According to this report, Palestinian health officials have stated that at least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 6. The Hamas group is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several other countries. The U.S. Secretary of Defense, in a meeting with Netanyahu, stated that Hamas's actions are worse than what he has seen from ISIS. The U.S. Secretary of State met with the Palestinian Authority President. One day after Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of Defense also arrived in Israel. The Israeli army called for the evacuation of northern Gaza; the United Nations stated that this order should be revoked.