Israel Holds Nearly 1,000 Palestinians Without Charge or Trial

Gaza, MINA – Israel is currently holding 967 Palestinians in prison without charge or trial, Haaretz media revealed on Monday.

The Israeli daily pointed out that this is the largest number of Palestinian prisoners being held under so-called administrative detention for twenty years.

According to MEMO, data on the detainees was provided by the Israeli occupation army to local rights groups. It confirmed that the total number of administrative detainees is 971, of which 967 are Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Palestine occupied in 1948 (Israel).

The Israeli side confirmed that ninety percent of the administrative detention orders were approved by the Israeli courts.

Administrative detention is a holdover from the British Mandate era of occupation. The detainees were held without charge or trial for a period of six months which could be extended indefinitely solely on the basis of confidential evidence that neither the detainees nor their lawyers had shown.

Israel is one of the few countries using such a system. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)