Since Oct. 7, Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians suspected of militant activity. Rights groups allege that Israel has abused some detainees or held them without charges.

More than 9,000 Palestinians imprisoned under Israel’s military and national security laws are being held in Israeli detention facilities, the highest figure in more than a decade, according to rights groups, who say that many of the detainees are being held without charges and have been abused while in custody.

The number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons has swelled since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza. In Gaza, Israeli troops have arrested hundreds of people in the search for fighters, the Israeli military says, while security forces in the occupied West Bank have conducted an enormous crackdown that they say is intended to root out militants.

But rights groups say that the arrests are often arbitrary, that the conditions in which Palestinians are held can be inhumane and that the spike in the number of reported deaths is concerning. Israel says the imprisoned Palestinians, who include avowed senior militants convicted of brutal attacks, are treated in accordance with international standards.

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  • roastedDeflator
    4•8 months ago

    Why Israel has so many Palestinian prisoners - Inside Israel’s dual criminal justice system (Video 11:49)

    (…) Each one of these Palestinian prisoners has been processed by Israel’s military court system, which exists completely separate from the civilian court system that Jewish Israelis interact with. This system and the military orders that govern it have their origins in the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967.

    In this video, two experts explain Israel’s military court system, why it’s been a focus of outcry from human rights organizations, and why hostage negotiations have historically involved the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.