Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails increased 130% after Oct. 7: Palestinian official

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian official on Wednesday said the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails since Oct. 7 has increased by 130%.

Speaking to Anadolu, Qaddoura Fares, head of the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority, described the situation of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails as "catastrophic and extremely dangerous."

He noted that the detainees are exposed to torture and systematic assaults, and that "the journey of torture starts from the moment of storming into the house and assaulting the detainee and the family, and sabotaging the house properties."

He said the past winter was the most difficult winter season for the detainees as the Israeli prison authorities deprived them of proper clothes and blankets, as well as regularly stripping them of their clothes.

The Palestinian official added that the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails before Oct. 7 was nearly 5,000, but now the number is expected to reach 12,000, including the detainees from Gaza.

"Nobody knows the number of detainees from Gaza, these are just expectations, but what is documented of detainees in Israeli jails reaches 9,500," Fares added.

He noted that among the detainees, there are some 80 women, over 200 children, and nearly 4,000 held under Israeli administrative detention without charge or trial.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara