IOF escalate administrative detention, issuing 9,500+ orders in Oct.
The Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society report a drastic rise in administrative detention orders by 'Israel', affecting thousands, including children, as part of a broader campaign aimed at suppressing Palestinian societal roles.
The Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society issued a joint statement highlighting a sharp increase in administrative detention orders imposed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds. According to the report, over 9,500 such orders, both new and renewed were issued in October alone.
The report indicated that, as of early October 2024, at least 3,398 Palestinians are currently held under administrative detention, including 30 women and approximately 90 children, among them a 14-year-old boy named Ammar Abdul Kareem. These administrative detainees now constitute about 33% of the total Palestinian prisoner population held by "Israel".
According to the statement, this surge in administrative detention orders correlates directly with intensified Israeli detention campaigns in the West Bank and al-Quds, resulting in more than 11,500 detentions across all segments of society. It further noted that some detainees faced attempted execution, as Israeli forces reportedly opened fire directly on individuals in their homes before detaining them. Cited examples include detainees Saleh Hassouna from Jalazone and Yaqub Al-Hawarin from al-Khalil, who were both seriously injured by gunfire and later placed in administrative detention following hospitalization.
The statement emphasized that this increase in administrative detention is part of a strategy to suppress the social, political, and cultural roles of Palestinian society. Targeted groups include students, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders, with a substantial portion of administrative detainees comprising former prisoners.
Recent practices include returning detainees who have completed their sentences to administrative detention, as well as issuing administrative detention orders for detainees that had been released on bail or under other conditions. The statement criticized Israeli occupation forces' courts for institutionalizing administrative detention, especially under the current government, which it claims has aligned the judicial system with settler interests.
Despite calls to boycott Israeli military courts, the Commission and Prisoners Society continue to support detainee cases to ensure access to legal representation amid difficulties imposed by prison authorities. The report concluded by urging a unified national stance to gradually boycott occupation courts, particularly in cases of administrative detention, given its serious national and strategic implications for the Palestinian prisoner issue.
Read more: 12 Palestinians detained in West Bank, total exceeds 11,400