File photo: Israeli forces intervene in demonstration in West Bank
Twenty Palestinians were arrested in overnight Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military on Monday.
The individuals were detained for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army said in a statement without elaborating on the nature of said activities.
A total of 291 Palestinians are currently in Israeli prisons, a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official said on Sunday.In a statement, Hanan Ashrawi, a PLO Executive Committee member, said: "There are currently nearly 5,900 Palestinian prisoners, including 291 children in Israeli prisons."The statement comes after teenaged Palestinian resistance icon Ahed al-Tamimi and her mother were released by Israeli authorities after an eight-month long detention.Third Palestinian dies of wounds in Gaza protestsIsraeli forces storm J'lem's Aqsa, injuring worshipers"Israel persistently violates the rights of Palestinian political prisoners while the international community turns a blind eye to such illegal behavior and inhumane treatment," said Ashrawi.Al-Tamimi became an international icon for Palestinian resistance after she was filmed slapping an Israeli soldier during a raid on her home to arrest her brother.Israeli forces arrested the Palestinian girl in December 2017 after a viral video showed her slapping an Israeli soldier; later an Israeli court handed down an eight-month long sentence in March for her “attack” on an Israeli soldier.In 2012, Istanbul’s Basaksehir Municipality had granted al-Tamimi the prestigious Hanzala Courage Award for defying Israeli soldiers after she was photographed showing her tiny fists to the occupying forces.
291 Palestinian children being held in Israeli prisons
According to the statement, four journalists working for Al-Quds television were among those rounded up in the raids.
Earlier this month, Israeli authorities designated Al-Quds television as a “terrorist group”.
The detainees have since been remanded into custody for further investigation, the statement added.
The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.
According to Palestinian figures, approximately 6,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, including scores of women and some 350 minors.