RAMALLAH, January 19, 2017 (WAFA) – The Israeli occupation authority detained 17 Palestinians from the West Bank and issued administrative detention orders against 22 others, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Thursday.

Six were detained in the Qalqilya district, two from the Hebron area, two from Nablus, two from the Ramallah area and three from the Tulkarm district.

In addition, two were detained in East Jerusalem’s Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood.

The PPS said also that the Israeli military court at Ofer camp, near Ramallah, has issued administrative detention orders against 22 Palestinian prisoners ranging in period between three to six months.

PPS attorney Mahmoud Halabi said the orders were issued between January 9 and 18.

While only five among the prisoners have been placed under administrative detention for the first time, the rest have had their orders renewed.

Administrative detention without charge or trial is illegal under international law and Israel usually enforce it randomly mainly against Palestinians citing “classified evidence” as the reason. The order could be renewed indefinitely.

A number of Palestinian prisoners held in administrative detention were able to fight this order only through long hunger strike that almost killed them.

M.K.