Abdel Nasser Ferwana, Palestinian researcher and former prisoner, said that the list of “Old Prisoners,” the term used to describe Palestinian prisoners held since prior to the Oslo Accords and their implementation date of May 4, 1994, includes 103 prisoners from various regions of Palestine still held in Israeli prisons. Ferwana said that 57 of the veteran prisoners are from the West Bank;
23 are from Gaza; 14 are from 1948 Palestine; and 9 from occupied Jerusalem.
He noted that among this group, 79 are serving one or more life sentences and the rest are serving sentences ranging from 20-40 years. 82 have been held for over 20 years and are referred to as “deans of the prisoners,” and 24 have been held for over 25 years and are referred to as “generals of steadfastness.”
