1,000 Palestinian minors detained by Israel: PLO panel

By Anees Barghouthi

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli forces have detained around 1,000 Palestinian minors since the beginning of 2016, a Palestinian committee said Saturday.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s committee on detainees said some of the minors were held under Israel’s administrative detention, a policy under which prisoners can be held for up to one year without charge of trial.

“Some of these minors were held under administrative detention, while others were sentenced to jail or paid large fine in order to be released,” the committee said in a report.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, committee head Issa Qaraqe said targeting Palestinian minors in Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has significantly increased since October 2015.

“Palestinian children were subjected to torture and abuse inside the Israeli jails,” he said, going on to appeal to international organizations to intervene to “protect Palestinian children from detention”.

“This requires a wide and fast action from the international community,” he added.

The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns in the occupied territories that ostensibly target Palestinians who are "wanted" by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Over 7,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in prisons located throughout Israel, according to the Palestinian government.