6489 Palestinians arrested by Israel in 2018

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Israeli forces rounded up 6,489 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip this year, according to official estimates.

A total of 1063 minors and 140 women were among those arrested in 2018, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

Israeli forces detained six lawmakers and 38 journalists in 2018, the commission said.

According to the statement, Israeli authorities have issued 988 administrative detention orders this year.

Around 6,000 Palestinians remain held in detention facilities in Israel, the commission said.

Estimates show that the sweeping majority of Palestinians arrested this year were from the West Bank, while only 5 percent were from Gaza.

The Israeli forces frequently carry out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.