Despite widespread concern over the coronavirus spreading, Israel detained last month (March) 357 Palestinians in raids throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, including 48 children under 18 years of age and four women, according to Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy groups.
The Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoner Society, and Addameer Prisoners Support Association said in a joint press statement that Israel detained 192 Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem, 33 from the Ramallah area, 45 from the Hebron district, 19 from Jenin, three from Bethlehem, 23 from Nablus, 11 from Tulkarm, 18 from Qalqilya, five from Tubas and eight from the Gaza Strip.
They said that by the end of March, Israel was holding some 5000 Palestinian political prisoners, including 41 women and 180 minors. In addition, 430 Palestinians are held in administrative detention for extended periods of time without charge or trial, 92 of them placed in detention last month.
