RAMALLAH, March 6, 2017 (WAFA) – As the world marks on March 8 International Women’s Day, 56 Palestinian women, many of them mothers of young children, are currently serving time in Israeli jails for resisting the occupation among them 16 minors under 18 years of age, the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission said on Monday.

It said Israel detained 15,000 Palestinian women since its occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

The commission said one of the prisoners, Sabah Faroun, from Izzariyeh, east of Jerusalem, is serving time in administrative detention, which has been renewed for six months for the second time in a row.

Another prisoner, Lena Jarbouni, from inside Israel, is considered the oldest woman prisoner who is serving a 17-year sentence. She is supposed to be released in April.

Underage prisoners also recently received heavy sentences with Shatila Abu Ayyad, from inside Israel, and Shorouq Dwayyat, both sentenced to 16 years in prison, Maysoun Jabali, from Bethlehem, sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Marah Bakir, eight years and Marah Showbaki, six years, both from East Jerusalem.

M.K.