Israel Currently Imprisons 6,800 Palestinians, Including 300 Children, more stats

Bernama -- There are currently 6,800 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 300 children, 34 women, and 213 detainees in administrative detention, a Palestinian Researcher who specialised in detainees' affairs, and former detainee, Abdul-Nasser Farawna said.

According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), in a report published here Tuesday by the International Middle East Media Centre (IMEMC), Farawna said that eleven elected legislators were still imprisoned by Israel.

There are also nearly 1,500 detainees who were ill and needed urgent medical attention with dozens of them needing surgeries and constant hospitalisation.

He also said that the detainees were held in nearly twenty prisons, detention and interrogation centres, mainly in Ramon, Shatta, Galboa', Asqalan, Hadarim, Al Damoun, Be'er Sheva, Ofer, Majoddo and the Negev detention camp.

Most of the detainees (83 per cent) are from the West Bank, and 10.6 per cent from Gaza while the rest are Arab residents of Israel and other Arab nationals.

A total of 800 detainees were sentenced to at least one life-term, 590 were sentenced to more than twenty years, 472 to more than 15 years, 15 were sentenced to more than 15 and less than 20 years, while 710 were sentenced to more than 20 years and several life-terms.

There are 213 detainees who are imprisoned under administrative detention orders without charge or trial, and seven detainees from Gaza are detained under what Israel descibes as "illegal combatants".

A total of 309 detainees were arrested before the first Oslo agreement and before the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994, 117 detainees were arrested more than 20 years ago and 17 detainees arrrested more than 19 years ago.

Detainees Nael Al Barghouthi, Fakhri Al Barghouthi and Akram Mansour have been imprisoned for more than 30 years.

Farawna called on Human Rights groups, related institutions and the media to highlight the issue of the detainees and to launch solidarity campaigns demanding their release.

He added that the captured prisoner-of-war, Gilad Shalit, held by the resistance in Gaza, should not be released until all detainees, especially those who have spent so many years behind bars, and those sentenced to long prison terms, are released.

Corporal Gilad Shalit is the only Israeli held by the Palestinians. He was captured on June 26, 2006, according to QNA.