Palestinian Legislator, head of the detainees committee at the
Legislative Council, Issa Qaraqe', said that the number of Palestinians
being taken prisoner by Israeli forces has sharply increased as the
army continued its invasions and military operations and took 420
residents prisoner since the beginning of November.
Qaraqe' stated that among the detainees are several women and children who were taken prisoner during Israeli military invasions in several Palestinians areas.
“This is a silent war”, he stated, “Those residents are taken prisoner, tortured and are facing bad living conditions”.
Qaraqe' also said that the media and the international community is not concentrating enough on the detainees and their suffering, while Israeli is abducting children, women and elderly without any legal basis.
“International committees, and human rights organizations, should get involved in order to stop Israel and its illegal practices”, he added, “Israeli interrogators are torturing the detainees, and humiliating them, the detainees are not even given their basic rights guaranteed by the International Law”.
Regarding a prisoner swap deal between Israel and resistance factions holding an Israeli soldier captive, Qaraqe' stated that Israel treats the detainees as “criminals” and is using them as a means to pressure the people.
Qaraqe' added that there are at least 10500 detainees in several Israeli prisons and detention facilities, and that Israel built news prisons, and added new sections on existing facilities. These prisons and detention facilities lack the basic requirements guaranteed by the international humanitarian law.
He appealed the Red Cross and human rights organizations worldwide to protect and aid the detainees who are suffering repeated violations and illegal practices.
