RAMALLAH: The Israeli occupation forces continue to intensify their campaigns of arrest and implement further acts of torture against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank, according to a statement released today by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS).
Over the course of 100 days of aggression and coinciding with the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army has reportedly arrested no less than 5,875 Palestinians from the West Bank since October 7. This figure includes individuals who have been detained, those still in custody, and those who were released later.
PPS highlighted in its statement that the arrest campaigns spared no specific population group, including women and children. Approximately 200 women have been subjected to arrest, while the number of child detentions reached 355 by the end of last month.
Since October 7, the level of crimes committed by Israeli forces has taken an escalating trajectory in terms of brutality and horrifying details, as attested by the accounts of detainees
and their families. Among the prominent offenses are cases of torture, blatant beating, direct threats of gunfire, on-site investigations, threats of rape, use of police dogs, the use of civilians as human shields and hostages, as well as extrajudicial executions.
The acts also extended to widespread sabotage targeting homes, confiscation of possessions, cars, money, gold jewelry, and electronic devices. Additionally, homes belonging to prisoners in Israeli jails were demolished and detonated. Israeli soldiers further engaged in photographing detainees after their arrest in conditions that undermine human dignity.
These crimes have left a profoundly dangerous impact on the fate of thousands of detainees and their families. The situation within the prisons has not fared any better, with the Israeli prison administration continuing to execute systematic crimes and policies against detainees. This includes imposing multiple forms of isolation, confiscating prisoners’ belongings, subjecting them to torture, and
committing mass assaults that resulted in several injuries among prisoners.
As winter sets in, the harsh conditions inside prisons, coupled with the laws imposed by the occupation since October 7, have intensified the hardships faced by prisoners, according to the statement. This has led to the sudden deaths of seven prisoners in Israeli custody as a result of the brutal torture.
PPS drew attention to the forced disappearances of detainees from Gaza, highlighting the fact that, after 100 days, the Israeli occupation refuses to disclose any information about their fate, exact numbers, or locations of detention.
The testimonies from released Gaza detainees have shed light on the level of criminality perpetrated against them in Israeli detention camps, revealing a high level of brutality in the treatment of these individuals.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA