Almost 4,000 Palestinians were detained by Israel in 2012

Official statistics issued by the Palestinian Ministry for Detainees and ex-Detainees have revealed that almost 4,000 Palestinian men, women and children have been detained by the Israelis in 2012. The total number was 3,850, including 880 children.

The ministry noted that 67 women, 11 elected parliamentarians, nine former prisoners freed in the latest swap deal between Palestinians and Israelis, and dozens of academics, journalists, teachers and community and political leaders have been arrested by Israel this year. The average detention rate per month was 321, breaking down to 11 Palestinians detained every day.

Denying that the arrests were made for “security” reasons, as the Israelis claim, the ministry insisted that most are carried out in retaliation for real or imagined acts by Palestinians.

The statistics showed that the detention rate increased in the occupied West Bank after the Israeli war on Gaza in November, when Israeli forces detained 535 Palestinians; 455 have been detained in December so far.