1,265 Palestinians arrested in the West Bank since 7 October

Israeli occupation forces arrested 50 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank overnight, raising the number of those detained since 7 October to 1,265, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported.

In addition to the mass arrest campaigns, Israeli occupation authorities have imposed major restrictions and penalties on Palestinian prisoners in the occupation’s jails since 7 October, the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has said.

“Measures and penalties have been imposed by Israel against prisoners as a form of revenge and torture since the beginning of the October 7 War,” the organisation said, in reference to when Israel began it’s bombing campaign in Gaza after resistance factions carried out an infiltration operation into the towns around the besieged enclave, taking over 200 prisoners of war, most soldiers.

It added that Israel “withdrew all electrical appliances, including televisions, food heating plates, and kettles, and cut off the electricity supply to the departments from six in the morning until six in the evening.”

It also reduced the amount of time Palestinian inmates are allowed to spend outside to “only twenty minutes, and sometimes they were completely deprived of it. All sports equipment was destroyed, and hot water was cut off from the sections, forcing the prisoners to shower with cold water.”

According to the Commission, the Israeli authorities have closed the kitchen and now provide “only two modest meals,” in addition to conducting periodic and daily inspections of the rooms.

They have now also increased the number of inmates being held in cells, with nine in rooms which only accommodate five prisoners, adding that prisoners who have served their sentences are being placed under administrative detention – being held without charge or trial.

Analysts believe the arrest campaign and efforts to keep Palestinian in detention is a measure to ensure Israel has collateral should a prisoner swap deal be negotiated. There are currently over 6,000 Palestinians in Israel’s jails, including children and women.

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