Palestinian Prisoners Day: Palestinians violated, denied basic rights

On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, observed annually on April 17th, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs along with the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) released a comprehensive fact sheet.

The fact sheet aims to shed light on the horrific reality and the staggering numbers of Palestinians detained within Israeli prisons.

It also provides a detailed overview of the conditions under which Palestinian detainees are held, highlighting the challenges they face, including issues related to health, access to legal representation, and administrative detention—a type of confinement without accusation or trial that authorities can extend indefinitely, which is, of course, against international law.

Additionally, it emphasizes the ongoing violations of international law and human rights standards within the Israeli prison system.

One of the key objectives of releasing this fact sheet is to raise awareness both locally and internationally about the plight of Palestinian prisoners and to garner support for their cause, as per detainees associations.

The two bodies advocate for the rights of Palestinian detainees and call for an end to the systematic oppression and arbitrary detention of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation authorities. 

9,500 Palestinian detainees including women and children 

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the PPS, and the Ramallah-based Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer), reported that the Israeli occupation has detained 9,500 Palestinians, including 3,660 administrative detainees, 56 journalists, at least 80 women, more than 200 children, and 17 members of the Legislative Council.

According to information provided by relevant institutions, 24 children from Gaza are currently held in prisons, constituting a portion of the overall number of detained children in “Megiddo” Prison.

These institutions have highlighted a concerning discrepancy, noting that despite numerous reports, there is a lack of confirmed information regarding the presence of additional children from the Gaza Strip in these facilities. This ambiguity persists amid ongoing allegations against “Israel” of forced disappearances.
 
They also stressed that the number of sick Palestinian detainees in the occupation’s prisons has increased significantly after October 7th, and many of them have experienced a significant deterioration in their health due to the policy of torture and medical neglect.

In a related context, the institutions indicated that the Israeli occupation had classified more than 849 detainees “under the internment of unlawful combatant law”.

Palestinian elderly detainees

Similarly, the institutions have stated that 21 elderly Palestinian detainees were arrested before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. This count follows the martyrdom of Walid Daqqa, one of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the Palestinian Captive Movement, on April 7, 2024.

Among these elderly detainees is Mohammed al-Tawas from the town of al-Jaba, who has been detained since 1985.

According to institutional data, an additional 11 Palestinians who had been held in detention before the signing of the Oslo Accords are counted among the elderly detainees.

These individuals were released as part of the “Wafa al-Ahrar” exchange deal in 2011. However, despite their initial release, “Israel” subsequently re-arrested them in 2014.

Among them is the leader and national struggle detainee Nael al-Barghouti, who has spent the longest period of detention in the history of the prisoners’ movement over two detention periods, with the total years of his detention exceeding 44 years.

Detainees of the al-Aqsa Intifada are also included, many of whom have been detained for more than 21 years in the occupation’s prisons.

Rise in martyred detainees: 252 Since 1967

The institutions clarified that the number of Palestinian detainees serving life sentences or awaiting such sentences is around 600, adding that the number of martyred detainees has risen to 252 since 1967.

The institutions affirmed that this number does not include all the martyrs of the captive movement after October 7, with the continued concealment of the identities of the majority of the martyrs.

The institutions also highlighted that “Israel” holds the bodies of 27 martyrs, the oldest of whom is martyr Anis Doula, whose body has been held since 1980.

‘Israel’ detained over 8,270 Palestinians in West Bank since Oct. 7

The fact sheet also mentioned that the total number of detained Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and al-Quds since October 7 is estimated at 8,270, including those who were detained from their homes, at military checkpoints, those who surrendered under pressure, and those taken as hostages.

It also reported that the Israeli occupation has detained 275 women, including women from the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 and women from Gaza detained in the West Bank. More than 520 minors were also held throughout the said period. 

The fact sheet detailed that 66 journalists had been detained, with 45 still in prison and 23 placed under administrative detention without indictment or trial. 4,430 administrative detention orders were issued against Palestinians, including new and renewed orders for children and women.

“Israel” issued more than 5,168 administrative detention orders against detainees, including women and children, as per the fact sheet. It also stressed that the current detention campaigns are accompanied by an increase in crimes and breaches, including torture, severe beatings, and threats against detainees and their family members.

Read more: On Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, Hamas prioritizes their liberation