17 Palestinian journalists held in Israeli prisons: NGO

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israel is holding 17 Palestinian journalists and media workers in prison, according to an Arab journalists rights group on Saturday.

In a statement, the Journalists' Support Committee said seven of those arrested have already been sentenced, five are still under Israel’s administrative detention policy, while five others are awaiting their verdicts.

The policy of administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to extend the detention of a prisoner without charge or trial.

The rights group warned against "the delay in issuing verdicts against the prisoners who have been detained for several years without charge”, describing the policy as “a blatant violation of international law and human rights.”

"The occupation practices organized state terrorism against the Palestinian media in an Israeli attempt to silence the Palestinian media and undermine the steadfastness of the Palestinian people," it said.

At least 4,600 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including about 500 administrative prisoners, according to groups concerned with the affairs of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar