Latest news with #DefenseforChildrenPalestine
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A nation behind bars: Why has Israel imprisoned 10,000 Palestinians?
On April 17 every year, Palestinian Prisoner's Day is commemorated to highlight the plight of those held in Israeli jails and their struggle for freedom against Israel's continued occupation of their land. The day marks the 1974 release of Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first Palestinian freed in a prisoner swap with Israel. It was later designated to honour all Palestinian prisoners and highlight Israel's ongoing detention of Palestinians and violation of their rights. There are currently nearly 10,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails in Israel and the occupied territory, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer. To Palestinians, they are political prisoners who must be freed. Of those in detention: 3,498 are held without charge or trial 400 are children 27 are women 299 are serving life sentences Administrative detainees, including women and children, can be held by the military for renewable six-month periods based on 'secret evidence' that neither the detainee nor their lawyer is allowed to see. Israel is the only country in the world that tries children in military courts, often denying them their basic rights. According to Defense for Children Palestine, about 500 to 700 Palestinian children are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system each year – some as young as 12. The most common charge is throwing stones, a crime punishable under military law by up to 20 years in prison. Currently, 400 Palestinian children remain in Israeli prisons, most are in pre-trial detention and have not been convicted of any offence. One of the most harrowing child prisoner cases is that of Ahmad Manasra, who was arrested at the age of 13, brutally interrogated and then sentenced. Ahmad was with his cousin Hassan, who allegedly stabbed two Israeli settlers near an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem in 2015. Hassan, who was 15 at the time, was shot and killed by an Israeli civilian, while Ahmad was severely beaten by an Israeli mob and run over by a car. He suffered fractures to his skull and internal bleeding. At the time, Israeli law stated that children under 14 could not be held criminally responsible. To circumvent this, Israeli authorities waited until Manasra turned 14 to sentence him. The law was changed in August 2016 to allow the prosecution of younger children. Ahmad was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence was later reduced to 9.5 years. Ahmad has long suffered from mental health issues. At the end of 2021, a psychiatrist from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was allowed to visit him and diagnosed him with schizophrenia. This was the first time an external doctor was allowed to see him. On April 10, 2025, after spending more than nine years behind bars, Ahmad was finally October 2023, when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel and Israel then began its war on Gaza, to April 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners doubled, rising from 5,250 to nearly 10,000. Since October 7, Israel has detained about 30,000 Palestinians. During the prisoner-captive exchanges with Hamas, Israel has released just more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. That means, for every person released, 15 others were apprehended. During the most recent ceasefire exchange earlier this year, 739 Palestinians from Gaza were freed, that's out of 15,000 that had been detained. While in the occupied West Bank, 652 were released, but nearly 14,500 have been the nearly two-month ceasefire earlier this year, Israel released 1,793 Palestinian political prisoners, while Hamas freed 38 Israeli captives, including eight bodies. The majority of those released were from Gaza, with 739 freed – 337 from North Gaza, 227 from Gaza City, and 151 from Khan Younis, some of the war's hardest-hit areas. In the occupied West Bank, at least 652 prisoners were released, with most coming from Ramallah (118), Hebron (111), and Nablus (79). Israel's detention policies have deeply affected Palestinian life for decades. According to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, since 1967, Israeli forces have detained an estimated one million Palestinians, or approximately 20 percent of the Palestinian population. Statistically, this means one out of every five Palestinians has been imprisoned at some point in their life. For many families, arrest has become an inevitability. This systemic practice has fragmented communities, perpetuated cycles of trauma, and generated widespread resentment. As Israel's arrest campaign continues, many Palestinians fear that mass imprisonment is not just a byproduct of occupation but a deliberate tool of control. For the thousands currently behind bars, freedom remains uncertain, just as it has for generations before them.
Al Jazeera
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Why has Israel imprisoned 10,000 Palestinians?
On April 17 every year, Palestinian Prisoner's Day is commemorated to highlight the plight of those held in Israeli jails and their struggle for freedom against Israel's continued occupation of their land. The day marks the 1974 release of Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first Palestinian freed in a prisoner swap with Israel. It was later designated to honour all Palestinian prisoners and highlight Israel's ongoing detention of Palestinians and violation of their rights. There are currently nearly 10,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails in Israel and the occupied territory, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer. To Palestinians, they are political prisoners who must be freed. Of those in detention: Administrative detainees, including women and children, can be held by the military for renewable six-month periods based on 'secret evidence' that neither the detainee nor their lawyer is allowed to see. Israel is the only country in the world that tries children in military courts, often denying them their basic rights. According to Defense for Children Palestine, about 500 to 700 Palestinian children are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system each year – some as young as 12. The most common charge is throwing stones, a crime punishable under military law by up to 20 years in prison. Currently, 400 Palestinian children remain in Israeli prisons, most are in pre-trial detention and have not been convicted of any offence. One of the most harrowing child prisoner cases is that of Ahmad Manasra, who was arrested at the age of 13, brutally interrogated and then sentenced. Ahmad was with his cousin Hassan, who allegedly stabbed two Israeli settlers near an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem in 2015. Hassan, who was 15 at the time, was shot and killed by an Israeli civilian, while Ahmad was severely beaten by an Israeli mob and run over by a car. He suffered fractures to his skull and internal bleeding. At the time, Israeli law stated that children under 14 could not be held criminally responsible. To circumvent this, Israeli authorities waited until Manasra turned 14 to sentence him. The law was changed in August 2016 to allow the prosecution of younger children. Ahmad was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence was later reduced to 9.5 years. Ahmad has long suffered from mental health issues. At the end of 2021, a psychiatrist from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was allowed to visit him and diagnosed him with schizophrenia. This was the first time an external doctor was allowed to see him. On April 10, 2025, after spending more than nine years behind bars, Ahmad was finally released. From October 2023, when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel and Israel then began its war on Gaza, to April 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners doubled, rising from 5,250 to nearly 10,000. Since October 7, Israel has detained about 30,000 Palestinians. During the prisoner-captive exchanges with Hamas, Israel has released just more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. That means, for every person released, 15 others were apprehended. During the most recent ceasefire exchange earlier this year, 739 Palestinians from Gaza were freed, that's out of 15,000 that had been detained. While in the occupied West Bank, 652 were released, but nearly 14,500 have been detained. During the nearly two-month ceasefire earlier this year, Israel released 1,793 Palestinian political prisoners, while Hamas freed 38 Israeli captives, including eight bodies. The majority of those released were from Gaza, with 739 freed – 337 from North Gaza, 227 from Gaza City, and 151 from Khan Younis, some of the war's hardest-hit areas. In the occupied West Bank, at least 652 prisoners were released, with most coming from Ramallah (118), Hebron (111), and Nablus (79). Israel's detention policies have deeply affected Palestinian life for decades. According to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, since 1967, Israeli forces have detained an estimated one million Palestinians, or approximately 20 percent of the Palestinian population. Statistically, this means one out of every five Palestinians has been imprisoned at some point in their life. For many families, arrest has become an inevitability. This systemic practice has fragmented communities, perpetuated cycles of trauma, and generated widespread resentment. As Israel's arrest campaign continues, many Palestinians fear that mass imprisonment is not just a byproduct of occupation but a deliberate tool of control. For the thousands currently behind bars, freedom remains uncertain, just as it has for generations before them.
Middle East Eye
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Did Israel round up women and children after 7 October as bargaining chips?
The latest round of exchanges in the prisoner swap agreed between Israel and Hamas is under way. On Thursday, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli captives, including two young children, killed in Gaza during the war. In return, Israel is reportedly expected to release all women and minors it has detained since 7 October 2023 who were not involved in the Hamas-led surprise attack that day. Israelis held in Gaza are mostly referred to as 'hostages' and 'captives', while Palestinians jailed by Israel are referred to as 'prisoners' and 'detainees'. Several of those Palestinian prisoners have been handed lengthy, often decades-long sentences, including for murder. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But a large number of those being released as part of the ceasefire agreement were detained after 7 October, and had no involvement in the attack. These detainees are from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Why are there so many Palestinians, including women and children, who are not combatants, ready to be handed over during the truce? Did Israel round them up deliberately 16 months ago as bargaining chips - akin to captives - to be used in a future prisoner exchange? Middle East Eye takes a look. Did Israel increase arrests on 7 October? As of this month, there were 9,846 'security' inmates in Israeli jails, according to HaMoked, a human rights group which assists Palestinians living under occupation. Of those, 3,369 were being held in administrative detention, in which a person is detained without charges or a trial. In addition to the nearly 10,000 detainees, a further 1,802 Palestinains, all of whom are from Gaza, are being held under the 'unlawful combatants law'. 'Not only are Israeli forces detaining more children without charge, but they are detaining more children overall' - Miranda Cleland, Defense for Children Palestine All of these numbers are significantly more than before 7 October 2023. Before the Hamas-led attack, there were around 5,250 prisoners, of whom 1,320 were administrative detainees. Only a few dozen people were being held from Gaza under the unlawful combatants law. 'The total number of prisoners and detainees has doubled,' Milena Ansari, Israel-Palestine researcher at Human Rights Watch, told MEE. 'And for administrative detentions… that has tripled.' The clear spike in arrests applies to minors too, Miranda Cleland of the Defense for Children Palestine (DCIP) told MEE. The total number of children aged between 12 and 17 held in Israeli prisons was 300 as of December 2024, according to the most recent figures published by the Israeli prison service. That's twice as many as were being detained in September 2023. Of those being held most recently, 112 were in administrative detention. 'Thirty-seven percent of Palestinian children detained by the Israeli military now are in administrative detention, up from 14 percent of the total in September 2023,' said Cleland. 'Not only are Israeli forces detaining more children without charge, but they are detaining more children overall.' What were these detainees charged with? For many of the detainees, there were no charges against them. Administrative detention allows Israel's military to hold prisoners indefinitely, citing alleged secret information, without charging them or allowing them to stand trial. While the period of detention lasts six months, it can be renewed indefinitely. Access to a lawyer varies from case to case, however. As these detainees don't know what the charges against them are, lawyers are unable to change their clients' plights. 'A simple post or sharing of a post on social media can get any Palestinian targeted and detained' - Jenna Abu Hasna, Addameer 'The essence of administrative detention defeats the purpose of representation because the lawyers do not have any information about why a person is detained,' said Ansari. As for Palestinian detainees from Gaza held under the unlawful combatants law, the majority of them don't have charges against them either. HaMoked describes the category of 'unlawful combatant' as having no basis in international law. Released Palestinians from Gaza have spoken of how they were interrogated about whether they supported Hamas, where they lived and other details about their lives - but not presented with a single charge. Two months after the war began, Israel passed a number of amendments loosening its use of the unlawful combatants law. They increased the time the military could detain someone without an order from 96 hours to 45 days, the length a detainee could be held before a judge reviewed their detention from 14 to 75 days, and the period someone could be detained without seeing a lawyer from 21 days to six months (later reduced to three months). For those Palestinians who were charged, it was often vague. 'Since 7 October, the common charges against women and children would be the 'incitement of violence' charge,' Jenna Abu Hasna, of Addameer, which supports Palestinian political prisoners, told MEE. 'A simple post or sharing of a post on social media can get any Palestinian targeted and detained.' Were the detentions illegal? Israel has repeatedly said that its arrests of Palestinians, including those under administrative detention, is compliant with international norms. Administrative detention is legal under international law as a preventative measure when a person specifically poses a danger. However, authorities are required to give that detainee a fair hearing and allow them to challenge their detention - something Israel does not appear to be doing. 'Israel is the only country in the world that systematically detains, tortures, and prosecutes children in military courts' - Miranda Cleland, Defense for Children Palestine 'Israeli authorities' use of administrative detention has far exceeded what international law allows,' said Ansari. 'There isn't a certain period when a person is released or when charges will be presented against them. So this makes the administrative detention arbitrary.' Israel's detainment of children has come under legal questions, too. 'Israel is the only country in the world that systematically detains, tortures, and prosecutes children in military courts,' said Cleland. She said that such a practice was arbitrary and amounted to an international law breach under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Israel has ratified. 'The CRC outlines that children should only be deprived of their liberty as an absolute last resort, which is clearly not the case here as Israeli forces continue to arrest Palestinian children by the dozen.' Children are arrested in the middle of the night, isolated in solitary confinement to extract confessions, and never presented with charges, Cleland said. 'Every aspect of this system… is a tool to exert Israeli control over Palestinian children and their families, and is unacceptable in international law.' How have women and children been treated in prison? Very badly, according to the testimonies of those who have been released so far. Women have reported abuse in prison, including being subjected to regular strip searches, the confiscation of hijabs and medical neglect. Ansari added that many released women have reported that they were threatened with sexual violence by prison guards, and subjected to 'verbal abuse and humiliation'. Children have also recounted receiving grim treatment. 'The children we have been able to interview, after they have been released, have reported deplorable conditions in the prisons,' said Cleland. 'Regular beatings and crackdowns from Israeli prison guards, rotten food, lack of access to the toilet and shower, and cells crowded with twice as many children as the space is designed for, so children are forced to sleep on the floor.' Are they bargaining chips? The change in the unlawful combatants law, and the huge spike in arrests indicate a concerted effort to arrest Palestinians, including children and women, after 7 October. 'Israeli prison guards would literally tell them: we are detaining you because of actions Palestinians did on 7 October' - Milena Ansari, Human Rights Watch 'Based on what the released detainees were reporting to us, many times during their detention, Israeli prison guards would literally tell them: we are detaining you because of actions Palestinians did on 7 October,' said Ansari. The widespread use of the unlawful combatants law to detain Palestinians who are now being released, in Israeli authorities' own words, as people 'not involved in the events of 7 October 2023' is another tell-tale sign. 'One atrocity by one side does not justify atrocity by the other side,' said Ansari. 'Human beings are not bargaining chips.' 'Israeli forces cannot round up as many Palestinians as possible in order to tip the balance for the exchange deal between prisoners and detainees and hostages. This is not what human rights is.' Middle East Eye has asked the Israeli Prison Service for comment.
