NGO: 4700 Palestinians, including 550 children, in Israeli jails

Ramallah (QNN)- A human rights center in Ramallah said Israeli authorities hold 4700 Palestinians, including 550 children and 118 women.
In its annual report, Palestine Prisoners’ Center revealed on Wednesday that the Israeli arbitrary arrest campaigns have become a part of the collective punishment against the Palestinian people, describing 2020 as the worst year for Palestinian prisoners regarding health conditions, as their lives have been in risk due to the spread of COVID-19 virus inside Israeli jails. 140 prisoners have been tested positive for the virus this year.
The center expected that the numbers of COVID-19 cases will increase due to the lack of protection and deliberate negligence by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as well as because many prisoners already suffer from chronic diseases due to the poor conditions inside Israeli jails.
The head of the center, Riyadh Ishqeir, stated in the report that all institutions of the occupation state continued during 2020 the racist and arbitrary practices against political prisoners, depriving them of their basic rights, attacking them inside their cells, and isolating them in poor conditions.
The report added that most arrests took part in the capital city with 2000 arrests, it was followed by Hebron with 700 arrests.
In Gaza, 88 arrests were reported, while the rest was distributed on the West Bank’s cities.
It also stated that 550 children were arrested, including 52 under the age of 14. 118 women were arrested as well, including 11 underage girls, elderly women, activists, journalists, students, and worshipers at Al Aqsa mosque.
The reports also stated that nine members of the legislative council and 145 Palestinians with special needs were arrested.
In 2020, the number of martyrs, who died in Israeli jails, raised to four. The bodies of the four martyrs are still held by the Israelis.