Occupation Escalates Incursions in Ramallah: 21,000 Arrests Since Early 2023

The Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate witnessed a series of widespread incursions carried out by Israeli occupation forces today, Saturday. Military operations targeted the villages of Deir Jarir and Taybeh, and the towns of Silwad and Al-Mazra'a Al-Sharqiya. The raids also extended to include the village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Gharbiya, northwest of the governorate, amidst strict security measures imposed by the occupation army in the area.

In the village of Al-Mughayyir, field sources reported that a number of citizens suffered severe suffocation due to the occupation forces firing a barrage of toxic gas and tear gas canisters during confrontations. The forces also detained a citizen at a military checkpoint at the western entrance to the village and severely beat him, in addition to detaining a child before both were later released.

The assaults were not limited to the Ramallah Governorate but also extended to the city of Nablus, where occupation forces arrested a young man after besieging a house in Al-Quds Street near Balata refugee camp. In a related context, a 16-year-old boy sustained head injuries after an attack by settlers throwing stones at the Awarta military checkpoint.

Regarding the issue of prisoners, the Prisoners' Information Office revealed in a recent report issued today, Saturday, that the occupation authorities have carried out more than 21,000 arrests among Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the beginning of 2023. The report clarified that these figures reflect an unprecedented escalation in the systematic arrest policy pursued by the occupation apparatus.

Official statistics indicate that the number of prisoners currently held in occupation prisons has reached approximately 9,500, living in harsh conditions lacking the most basic human necessities. Among these detainees are nearly 90 Palestinian female prisoners and 300 children, which confirms the occupation's targeting of all segments of Palestinian society without exception.

Concerning prisoners from the Gaza Strip, the report documented the martyrdom of 52 identified prisoners inside Israeli prisons and camps due to torture or medical neglect. Sources confirmed that the occupation still holds the bodies of a number of these martyrs, while the fate of hundreds of others, whose news has been cut off since their arrest, remains shrouded in mystery.

For his part, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Abdullah Al-Zaghari, stated that arrest operations have not stopped for a single moment, affecting men, women, and children in both the West Bank and Gaza. Al-Zaghari pointed out that the occupation adopts a punitive policy aimed at breaking the will of the Palestinian people through daily arrest campaigns.

Al-Zaghari explained that the torture methods currently employed have surpassed traditional patterns, now reflecting an extremist right-wing ideology dominating prison administration. These methods vary between severe beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation, and systematic starvation, which has led to the deterioration of the health of hundreds of prisoners.

Regarding detainees from the Gaza Strip, the head of the Prisoners' Club noted that the occupation continues to detain approximately 1,300 Palestinians under the designation of 'unlawful combatant.' This legal classification is used as a pretext to keep residents of the Strip in arbitrary detention for long periods without formal charges or fair trials.

Human rights reports have spoken of the occupation establishing new prisons and camps specifically for Gaza prisoners, prominent among them being the 'Sde Teiman' detention center, described as a major 'torture station.' Flagrant violations, inconsistent with all international conventions, occur in this detention center, far from any human rights or legal oversight.

Amidst this escalation, the occupation authorities continue to prevent International Committee of the Red Cross teams from communicating with prisoners or visiting them to assess their health and living conditions. The decision to ban family visits also continued, exacerbating the suffering of prisoners and their families, who live in a state of constant anxiety about the fate of their loved ones.

Human rights organizations confirm that what is happening inside prisons represents a silent 'extermination arena' against prisoners, where disease and deliberate medical neglect are rampant. Human rights advocates appeal to the international community to intervene urgently to stop these crimes and ensure the protection of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and relevant international laws.

The torture practiced against prisoners is no longer in the traditional sense but now reflects an extremist right-wing ideology that practices various forms of abuse.