Israel arrests over 5,500 Palestinians in 2019

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli authorities arrested more than 5,500 Palestinians during 2019, including 889 children and 128 women, several Palestinian advocacy groups announced Monday.

The figures were released through a statement issued on Monday by a number of Palestinian prisoners' affairs groups including the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

Israeli forces arrest Palestinians on a nearly daily basis, with some released after short investigations and others referred to Israeli courts.

According to the statement, detainees currently languishing in prison have reached 5,000, including 50 women and 200 child, while the number of detainees under "administrative detention" without trial or accusation have stands at 450.

The statement added that about 700 prisoners suffer from various illnesses, including 10 cancer patients and 200 others of chronic diseases.

"In 2019, Israeli authorities intensified arbitrary arrest campaigns against children and women, who suffered different forms of torture both during arrest and after," the joint statement underlined.

It added that during 2019, five Palestinian detainees died in Israeli prisons due to lack of proper medical treatment and deliberate medical negligence.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara