RAMALLAH: Approximately 11,000 Palestinians have been arrested and detained in Israeli prisons throughout 2023, with half of them being detained after Oct 7.
"This figure is nearly equivalent to the number of arrests made between 2001-2002 during the Second Al-Aqsa Intifada wave and does not include Gaza detainees after October 7th," said the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs in a joint statement with three other organisations related to Palestinian prisoners.
The organisations involved are the Palestinian Prisoners Club, the Prisoner Care and Human Rights Foundation "Addameer," and the Information Centre of Wadi Hilweh - Jerusalem.
The Arabic statement explained that the number of arrests in the last three months of 2023 after October 7th exceeded 5,500 – including 355 children, 184 women, and 50 Palestinian journalists.
"This not only reflects an increase in the number of those arrested but also provides evidence of the level of cruelty of the Israeli occupying forces," the statement said, as quoted by the Palestinian News and Information Agency WAFA.
According to the statement, the Israeli Zionist forces since October 7th have intensified large-scale arrest campaigns against Palestinian civilians in protection centres, schools, homes, and even in the 'safe humanitarian corridors' in Gaza.
However, the fate and the actual number of those arrested cannot be confirmed as of now. Lawyers and representatives of the Red Cross are also prevented from visiting them.
The statement also condemned these actions which are considered as 'Enforced Disappearance' under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.– Bernama-WAFA