Israel arrested 1,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem since Trump declaration

Israel has arrested 1,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump unilaterally declared Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in early December, a human rights group announced today.

Director of the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission Issa Qaraqa said arrests in Jerusalem have escalated since Trump decision which was announced on 6 December.

As if Israel took the green light to escalate brutality and aggression on the city of Jerusalem geographically and demographically

he said.

He pointed out that the occupation authorities resort to mass arrests which have “become a phenomenon of daily and collective punishment”.

Qarqaa said that many of the detainees are young men and minors and are subjected from the moment of their arrest to degrading treatment, torture and abuse by Israel Police and interrogators.

He continued: “The attack on Jerusalem is very serious and there is widespread Israeli aggression and total tyranny targeting the people of Jerusalem and its historical and religious status and exerting pressure in order to attain the silent expulsion of the population.”

He pointed out that the Israeli courts issued “deterrent and deliberate” verdicts against Jerusalemites, accompanied by heavy fines and imposed “strict” measures on the families of the prisoners and martyrs.

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