Marking Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, about 4500 Palestinians still being held in Israeli prisons
Occupied Palestine (QNN) – About 4500 Palestinian detainees are currently being held in Israeli occupation jails, and they do need for all forms of support and solidarity, Palestine Prisoners’ Centre for Studies has said.
The centre pointed out in a statement marking the Palestinian Prisoner’s Day that the Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation jails are experiencing compelling circumstances and grave violations which put their lives at serious risk.
On April 17 of each year, Palestinian Prisoner’s Day is marked to highlight the plight of the Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons.
The centre indicated that the Israeli occupation has detained over one million Palestinians since the beginning of 1967, which means that more than 25% of the Palestinians in the occupied territories were exposed to detention.
It added that the occupation authorities have been holding 4500 Palestinian detainees including 32 women, 160 children, and 9 Legislative Council members.
548 detainees had been sentenced for one or multiple life terms, while 540 others have arbitrarily been held under Israel’s administrative detention order, the centre explained.
It went on to say that 560 detainees suffer from various diseases, some of whom have disabilities while others suffer from serious chronic diseases such as cancer and kidney failure.
The number of senior Palestinian detainees who served more than 20 consecutive years in Israeli jails has risen to 184, including 25 detainees who have been serving prison sentences before 1994, the centre continued.
Moreover, the centre added, the Israeli occupation is still holding in its prisons 84 detainees of those who were released in the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange in 2011.
