A recent report, issued by the Palestinian ministry of prisoners affairs in Gaza revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities detained 475 Gaza residents including 45 children and 6 fishermen between April and May2008.
The Israeli army arrests across the Gaza Strip were conducted during 125 small-scale and large-scale invasions into different parts of Gaza, the report read.
Riyad al-Ashqar, head of the information department of the prisoners affairs ministry, told media outlets that the Israeli army sporadic arrest campaigns throughout the Gaza Strip, have resulted in the detention of 140 residents from northern Gaza, 40 others from southern Gaza as well as 25 others from the southern city of Rafah alone.
Among those taken prisoners were more than 50 children under the age of 18, including 25 between the ages of 11 and 17, aL-Ashqar explained.
He also pointed out that the Israeli prisons authorities had neglected medical care for many prisoners inside the Israeli detention facilities.
Citing the case of woman prisoner Amal Jom’a, aL-Ashqar made clear that this prisoner has been suffering from inability to move unless helped by fellow prisoners and that her conditioned has been worsened due to lack of proper medical care inside the prison.
The Israeli army has been conducting frequent ground invasions into the various parts of Gaza, since June of last year, when the Hamas party seized control of the region amidst a factional infighting with the Fatah party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
Currently, Israel holds 11700 Palestinians including about 320 women and hundreds of juveniles, inside various detentions centers, according to the prisoners affairs ministry.
