The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Freed Detainees, reported that 9200 Palestinian detainee are still detained in more than 28 Israeli prisons, detention facilities, and interrogation centers.
The ministry released a report on Tuesday and revealed that 270 detainees were arrested during November, and are currently placed in interrogation centers.
Also, the ministry reported that Israel arrested since 1967 more than 650.000 detainees, which resembles 20% of the total population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In spite of the current “truce” Israeli soldiers carried dozens of arrest raids and “random arrests”, and arrested since the Sharm Al Sheikh truce agreement, in February, 3000 residents, and opened new branches in Ofer and Shatta detention facilities.
The report revealed that Israel resumed its violations against the detainees, and attacked them in their rooms and cells; dozens of detainees were injured by bullets which cause skin burn, while others were hit with batons after soldiers repeatedly broke into the detention facilities.
570 detainees (6.2%) were arrested before Al Aqsa Intifada, which erupted late 2000, in addition to 369 detainees (4%) who were arrested before the Palestinian Authority was established.
201 detainees (2.2%) were arrested after the Oslo agreement and before Al Aqsa Intifada, and remained in custody.
400 female detainees were arrested during Al Aqsa Intifada, 116 (1.3%) of them are still imprisoned. 107 of the female detainees are from the West Bank, 6 from Jerusalem, and 3 from the Gaza Strip.
Six female detainees are still under the age of 18, 25 women were arrested this year and 35 were arrested in 2004.
The detainees are facing very bad living conditions, lack of medical treatments, and suffering continuous violations and attacks.
Regarding detained children in Israeli prisons, the report revealed that Israel is arresting children and detaining them under cruel and inhuman conditions, directly violating the international laws and principle of human rights.
The report also mentioned that Israel is still using torture during interrogation, including torture against child detainees, in addition to barring the detainees from their basic rights, such as medical attention, and imposing fines on them.
Torture is still practiced in Israeli detention facilities in spite of a ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice in 1966 which prohibited the usage of all sorts of torture during interrogation.
According to the report, torture starts directly after arrest; soldiers attack the arrested residents, cuff them with plastic handcuffs that cause cuts and pressure the hands, blindfold and drag them.
Dozens of detainees were also kicked, clubbed and hit with the back of the rifle during arrest.
181 detainees died as a result of torture, some of them were killed after they were arrested, while others died as a result of medical neglect. The latest casualty among the detainees was Jawad Adel Mgheisib, 18, who died as a result of medical neglect, at the Negev detention camp on 28 July 2005.
Abu Mgheisib was arrested on December 1, 2002, he was only 15 years old when he was arrested and was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment.
The future of child detainees is directly endangered especially since Israel deprives them from the right of education.
4000 Palestinian children were arrested since the beginning of the Intifada, 301 (3.3%) are still detained. 15 child detainees are from Jerusalem, 6 from the Gaza Strip, and 208 from the West Bank; 77 from Nablus, 62 from Ramallah, 27 from Hebron. 295 of the child detainees are males.
79 child detainees (26.2%) are suffering different sorts of sicknesses and deprived from medical care and treatment. Hundreds of detainees arrived the age of 18 while they were imprisoned.
99% of the child detainees were tortured, especially by placing bags on their heads, beating them and forcing them to stand for long periods.
200 child detainees are placed in Telmond detention facility, 37 are in Ofer, 20 in Megiddo , 10 in the Negev, while the rest are detained in Hasharon, Al Jalama, Atzion and other detention facilities.
Also, there are 369 detainees who were arrested before the Palestinian Authority was formed, and are still imprisoned.
1200 detainees are suffer chronic diseases, among them several detainees who were shot and injured during their arrest and did not receive the needed treatment.
Dozens of Palestinian detainees are barred from their visitation rights since several years.
35 detainees were arrested more than 20 years ago, 6 were arrested 25 years ago, and they are still imprisoned.
