500 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms in Israel jails

Some 504 Palestinian prisoners are serving life sentences in Israeli jail, Quds Press reported yesterday.

In a statement, the Palestinian Centre for Palestinian Prisoners’ Studies said most recently life terms were handed down to brother Nasser and Akram Badawi from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

The pair was also fined 60,000 shekels ($17,000) after they were accused of shooting an Israeli soldier and wounding others.

According to the statement, this is the eighth life sentence that has been issued against Palestinian prisoners this year.

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Life sentence, the statement stated, is a 99-year-prison-term that the Israeli occupation imposes on Palestinian prisoners who are accused of killing Israeli settlers or soldiers. It is also imposed on Palestinians accused of planning or directing resistance actions that led to the death of Israelis.

Rights groups said that more than 6,500 Palestinians are currently being held in 22 Israeli prisons, including 350 children, 57 women and about 700 under administrative detention.

Israeli occupation forces raided several West Bank cities and villages over night and arrested 30 Palestinians.