Ramallah, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), According to figures released by Palestinian prisoners’ institutions, based on information available to them and announcements issued by the Israeli prison administration regarding certain categories of detainees, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons reached 9,350 as of the beginning of September this year. The figure includes 90 female prisoners and more than 350 children.
The figures show that the number of Palestinians held under administrative detention stands at 3,176, while the number of detainees classified by the Israeli occupation authorities as “unlawful combatants” has reached 1,393.
The prisoners’ institutions clarified that the latter figure does not include all detainees from the Gaza Strip held in Israeli military camps under this classification. It also includes Arab detainees from Lebanon and Syria, meaning that the actual number of detainees held under this category remains incomplete.
The figures indicate that administrative detention continues to be one of the most prominent detention mechanisms used by the Israeli authorities. Under this system, thousands of Palestinians are held without publicly disclosed charges or trial, while detention orders can be renewed repeatedly for extended periods.
Administrative detention
Monthly figures published by prisoners’ institutions during the current year show that the number of administrative detainees has remained high. Their number stood at 3,532 at the beginning of April, 3,376 at the beginning of May, and 3,244 at the beginning of July. According to the latest figures, the number reached 3,176 at the beginning of September.
Despite the limited decline in the number of detainees in this category in recent months, the Israeli authorities have continued to issue new administrative detention orders and renew existing ones.
More than 300 children detained
The latest figures show that more than 300 children are being held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons, while previous reports issued by prisoners’ institutions throughout the year have also put the number at around the same level.
In May, the institutions estimated the number of imprisoned children at approximately 360, while an April report put the figure at around 350. The figures reflect the continued detention of hundreds of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.
As for female prisoners, the latest figures indicate that 90 Palestinian women are currently held in Israeli prisons, as administrative detention against Palestinian women also continues.
Deteriorating conditions
The prisoners’ crisis is not limited to the number of detainees. Recent statements issued by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs have also highlighted the continued deterioration of health and living conditions inside the prisons.
On September 13, the commission reported, based on visits by its lawyers and statements from prisoners, an increase in raids and harsh measures at Nafha Prison. It said that prison rooms were raided, prisoners were subjected to violence, and strict measures were imposed inside the sections.
On the same day, the commission published a report on the conditions of sick prisoners at “Janot” Prison, describing shortages of clothing and food, difficult living conditions, and medical neglect of sick prisoners, alongside continued searches and coercive measures.
The commission also reported deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions affecting three prisoners at Ofer Prison, including an elderly prisoner suffering from chronic illnesses and the effects of violence sustained during his arrest.
The situation of Palestinian prisoners becomes even more complicated when it comes to detainees from the Gaza Strip, as access to comprehensive information about the number of people held in Israeli military camps and the conditions of their detention remains difficult. For this reason, prisoners’ institutions stress that the published figures do not constitute a comprehensive or final tally of all Palestinians held by the Israeli authorities.
