25 lawmakers still held in Israeli prisons

The Palestinian ministry for prisoners’ affairs says at least 25 lawmakers along with two former ministers are still being held in Israeli prisons under appalling conditions.

According to a press release published on Saturday, the highest number of detainees were from al-Khalil, 10, followed by Ramallah, 6, Al-Quds, 4, Bethlehem, 3, and one prisoner from the occupied West Bank towns of Nablus and Ariha (Jericho) each.

The ministry, meanwhile, lashed out at the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the Arab and western parliaments for not doing enough to stop the trend.

“There is no real action on the part of all those parties toward resolving this issue and releasing the MPs,” the prisoners’ affairs ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli army regularly arrests Palestinians during overnight operations in West Bank towns. The detentions are in flagrant violation of a security agreement with the Palestinian National Authority.

More than 11,500 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently imprisoned in Israeli detention facilities, suffering harsh and life-threatening conditions.