Israel detained 470 Palestinians in August: NGOs

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Around 470 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip last month, said three Palestinian NGOs on Monday.

“The detainees included 50 minors and 11 women,” said a joint report on Monday issued by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, and the Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association.

“A total of 162 residents of the occupied East Jerusalem were among those arrested,” the report said.

According to the report, 220 minors and 38 women are still being held in Israeli prisons.

"Currently, there are 7,500 prisoners in Israeli jails," the NGOs said, adding that 500 Palestinians are currently being held under Israel's policy of "administrative detention," under which prisoners can be held for renewable six-month periods without charge or trial.

The policy of administrative detention was first established by British colonialist forces during the British Mandate period (1923-1948) in Palestine.