Report: Israel holding 4,500 Palestinians in its prisons

Israel is currently detaining some 4,500 Palestinians in its prisons, including 41 women and 140 children, Anadolu Agency reported.

The news agency quoted a new report issued by the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoner Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners Club, Hurryyat Centre for Defence of Liberties and Civil Rights and the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre, issued to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.

According to the report, the number of sick prisoners currently detained by Israel has reached 550, including the oldest prisoner, Fouad Al-Shobaki (82).

The report noted that Israel has been detaining 25 Palestinians since before the Oslo Accords signed with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1993, in addition to 62 detainees who have been continuously detained for more than twenty years.

The Palestinian prisoners include 543 serving one or multiple life sentences, including Abdullah Barghouti, who has been sentenced to 67 life sentences.

The report indicated that as many as 226 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since 1967, including 73 due to torture, 71 due to medical negligence and seven due to repression and direct shooting from soldiers and guards. In addition, 75 Palestinians have been killed as a result of premeditated murder.

The Israeli authorities are also holding seven prisoners’ bodies, including Anis Dawla, who died in Ashkelon Prison in 1980.

The report noted that Israel has arrested nearly 1,400 Palestinians since the beginning of 2021.

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