RAMALLAH – The Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's Office Tuesday said that Israel arrested some 800,000 Palestinians since the June 1967 War. The office said in a press statement on the occasion of the international conference on Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, a copy of which was obtained by Saudi Gazette, that the number consists 20 percent of the Palestinian population. The conference began its works today, December 11, in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The conference was held under the patronage of the Arab League and was attended by several Arab countries, local, Arab and international human rights organizations. A Palestinian delegation headed by Fayyad participated in the conference that will discuss the legal status of Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails following UN recognition of a Palestine as non-member state and the decision's effects on their issue. Fayyad's office said that number includes Palestinian males, females and children under the age of twelve. The statement added that 40 percent of Palestinian males have been arrested at least once since the occupation of Palestinian territories. It added that 100,000 Palestinian were held in administrative detention, with no charges or trial, since 67. According to the statement, Israel arrested 7,000 Palestinian children in the last ten years. The office said that the children were held in Israeli jails in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The statement added that the prisoners were exposed to various types of interrogation. It added that the 80 percent of them were tortured. “The Israeli Supreme Court allowed the use torture during interrogation in violation of the international laws and related treaties,” the statement said. According to the recent Palestinian statistics, Israel is holding 4,700 prisoners in 23 prisons and detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank of whom 198 children, 8 females, 14 members of Palestine Legislative Council. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had repeatedly said the Palestinians will not sign any final peace agreement before Israel shuts down all its prisons and releases all the Palestinian prisoners, which were rejected by Israel.
