Abdel Nasser Ferwana, former Palestinian political prisoner, researcher and head of the Census Department of the Palestinian Committee of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, reported on Sunday, 28 December that 6059 Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli occupation military in 2014, an escalation from previous years.
Arrests rose by 56% over 2013, 57.5% over 2012, and 83% over 2011 numbers, said Ferwana, noting that “this clearly indicates a sharp escalation in the number of arrests over the past four years.
There are currently approximately 6,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails, of which 200 are children under 18. 1266 Palestinian children were arrested in 2014, including 700 children in Jerusalem, reported Ferwana, again, in escalating numbers over prior years. 3,755 Palestinian children have been detained by Israeli occupation forces in the past four years.
Ferwana said that the arrests were carried out in the following months, averaging to 17 per day:
1. January: 360 Palestinians.
2. February: 317 Palestinians.
3. March: 377 Palestinians.
4. April: 355 Palestinians.
5. May: 390 Palestinians.
6. June: 800 Palestinians.
7. July: 750 Palestinians.
8. August: 620 Palestinians.
9. September: 580 Palestinians.
10. October 390 Palestinians.
11. November: 600 Palestinians.
12.December 520 Palestinians.
He urged international action to stop the ongoing mass arrests and incarceration of Palestinians, particularly the targeting and abuse of Palestinian children and youth.
