‘israel’ escalates kidnapping Palestinians freed in prisoner swap: Rights groups

On Tuesday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) said the occupying regime continues its “systematic detention campaigns” in the occupied territories.

The regime, they said, has so far put 13 released Palestinians back behind bars, the last of whom was arrested in Dheisheh refugee camp, located just south of Bethlehem, a day earlier.

Among those who were re-arrested were three Palestinian under the age of 18 from the occupied West Bank cities of Nablus, Jenin, and Areeha.

Four other young Palestinians were also arrested in Areeha and Ramallah and were transferred to administrative detention once again between four to six months.

The two human rights groups said among the released prisoners who were re-arrested were four female prisoners from the cities of Ramallah and Nablus.

Israel’s arrest campaign in the occupied territories has escalated in an unprecedented manner following the occupying regime’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began in early October.

On Saturday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said at least 7,605 Palestinians have been detained by Israeli soldiers since the start of the Israeli onslaught.

More than 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023.

And the brutal Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed at least 31,550 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 73,546 others since October. The regime has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

A week-long humanitarian ceasefire in late November saw an exchange of 240 Palestinian abductees held by Israel with 105 captives, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners.

Israel believes 130 captives still remain in Gaza, while there are thought to be 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, many detained without charge.