israeli soldiers assault Palestinian prisoners

The father of former Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan holds a poster of his son and an ID, 19 February 2012. | Photo: AFP

Israeli soldiers raided on Monday the Nafha Israeli detention camp, charging into rooms assaulting dozens of Palestinian inmates and then forcibly transferring many of them to other sections of the prison, the Palestinian Prisoners' Committee reported.

The facility is in the Israeli town of Mitzpe Ramon, (part of the occupied Gaza southern territories) located 102 miles south of Tel Aviv.

Local press have reported that the Israeli authorities had previously canceled family visits for Palestinian inmates and that in protest some inmates have set fire to a number of rooms in the old section of the facility.

The committee released a report early this year saying that Israel tortures about 95 percent of the Palestinian prisoners it holds in prisons, including minors, women and even ill detainees.

According to figures provided by human rights organizations, between 150 and 200 Palestinian child prisoners are currently among the over 7,000 Palestinians being held in 17 Israeli prisons and detention camps. Groups also say that 540 Palestinians are being held without charge or trial.

The Israeli law says that once arrested, Palestinians can be detained for up to 18 days without being informed of the charges being laid against them; they can also be barred from seeing a lawyer for up to 90 days after the their arrest, and security officials are also allowed to ignore informing the families of detainees regarding the arrests of their relatives.

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