Palestinians face 9,920 detention orders over last year

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli authorities have issued more than 9,920 detention warrants for Palestinians "wanted" for alleged transgressions since October of last year, according to a Palestinian official.

Abdul-Nasser Ferwana, head of documentation at the Palestine Liberation Organization’s commission for prisoners’ affairs, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that Palestinians for whom warrants had been issued included 2,848 minors between 11 and 18 years old.

Another 262 warrants were issued against female minors and mothers, Ferwana said.

According to the PLO official, 6,297 warrants were issued against Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank; 3,192 against Palestinians from Jerusalem; and 250 against Palestinians from the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.

The remaining 181 detention warrants, he noted, had been issued against Palestinians residing in Israel.

Many of the Palestinians against whom the warrants were carried out, he added, had been subjected to varying degrees of physical and psychological torture.