Israel arrested 60 Palestinian children in April

Israel arrested 60 Palestinian children and five women in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem during April, a rights group said yesterday.

According to Quds Press, the Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies said in a statement that Israel had arrested a total of 400 Palestinians, including lawmaker Ahmed Attoun.

The statement said that seven among the 400 were from the Gaza Strip, including two women. They were arrested at the Erez border crossing while on their way to hospital in the occupied West Bank.

Regarding the five men from Gaza, the group noted that two were fishermen who were arrested while fishing in the sea, and three were detained after Israel claimed they had infiltrated Israeli territory.

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In addition, the statement said “After arresting Ahmed Attoun, the number of the Palestinian MPs inside Israeli jails rose to 13,” noting that Attoun is an MP for Jerusalem and he was expelled from the holy city by Israel in 2010.

During the same month, Israel reportedly issued 70 administrative detention orders, including 28 new orders and 42 renewals.

The statement also pointed out that about 1,600 Palestinian prisoners had started an open-ended hunger strike on 17 April, protesting against the harsh Israeli treatment against prisoners.

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According to the statement, the hunger strikers are demanding improved detention conditions, ending solitary confinement, administrative detention and medical negligence, as well as to increase family visits along with many other basic demands.

Currently, there are 6,500 Palestinian prisoners inside 22 Israeli jails, including 29 who have been in prison since before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Among the prisoners are 13 MPs, 57 women and 13 minors under the age of 18, while 500 are being held under administrative detention.