Report: “4500 Palestinians Still Imprisoned By Israel”

January 03, 2012 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Abdul-Nasser Farawna, a former political detainee and a Palestinian researcher specialized in detainees affairs, published a report revealing that as the world marks 2012, and despite the fact that Israel released 1027 detainees as part of the prisoner-swap deal, at least 4500 Palestinian detainees, and dozens of Arab detainees, are still imprisoned in several Israeli interrogation facilities, prisons and detention centers.

Free All Detainees

The imprisoned Arab detainees are from several Arab countries, but mainly from Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

The report revealed that the vast majority of the Palestinian political prisoners (%82) detained by Israel are from the occupied West Bank, and the remaining %82 are from the Gaza Strip, the Arabs48 territories, and occupied East Jerusalem.

It also indicated that the number of detainees gradually increases due to ongoing Israeli arrests of Palestinians, adding that in 2011 Israeli soldiers kidnapped 3312 Palestinians (approximately 9 a day).

The detainees are held in 17 prisons and detention camps, mainly in Nafha, Ramon, Asqalan, Bir Sheva, Ha-Sharon, Hadarim, Ramla, Ad-Damoon, Ofer, Majeddo, Negev and several other prisons.

There are more than 130 detainees who are underage, and hundreds of adult detainees who have been imprisoned by Israel since they were underage, in addition to 240 detainees who are held under administrative detention, 42 elected legislators and two elected government ministers.

Hundreds of detainees suffer from chronic diseases, cancer, Diabetes, liver diseases, disabilities and other health conditions.

There are 6 female detainees who are still imprisoned by Israel after Tel Aviv excluded them from the prisoner-swap deal. Three of them are from historic Palestine (the 1948 territories).

Also, there are 122 detainees who have been imprisoned since before the Oslo peace agreement and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994; they are referred to as the “Old Detainees” as they have been imprisoned since at least 18 years, while 52 of them have been imprisoned since more than 20 years, and 23 detainees who have been imprisoned since more than 25 detainees.

This includes detainee Kareem Younis, from Ar’ara in the 1948 territories, who has been imprisoned since 29 years now, and Syrian detainee, Sidqi Al-Maqt from the Golan Heights, who has been imprisoned since 26 years.

The detainees are held under tough conditions, deprived of their basic rights guaranteed by International Law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions, while Israeli attacks and violations against them are dangerously escalating, especially after the first phase of the prisoner-swap deal was implemented last October.

In his report, Farawna stated that, instead of improving the conditions of the detainees as stated in the swap-deal, and removing all political prisoners from solitary confinement, Israel is still keeping dozens of detainees in solitary confinement, still attacking the detainees and violating their rights, and is still depriving Gaza Strip detainees from their right to visitations with their families.