RAMALLAH, April 17, 2018 (WAFA) – Israel has detained 1928 Palestinians since the start of the year, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said in a statement marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which coincides on April 17 of every year.

It said among the 1928 detainee, there were 369 minors and 36 women.

The PPS said a total of 6500 Palestinians are currently incarcerated in Israel for resisting the occupation, including 350 minors, six lawmakers and 62 women, including 21 mothers and eight minors.

The total also includes 500 prisoners held in administrative detention without charge or trial, including three women, two minors and four lawmakers.

Out of the total number of detainees, 48 had spent more than 20 successive years in prison, 25 spent more than 25 years and 12 spent more than 30 years.

The longest serving prisoners are Kareem Younis and Maher Younis, who have been in detention for 35 years, and Nael Barghouti, who served 34 years in Israeli prisons and released during one of the prisoners exchange deals but was later re-arrested to continue his previous life sentence and 18 additional years.

Statistics show that 700 detainees suffer from chronic diseases, which need urgent medical treatment and intensive follow up, 26 of them have cancer, said PPS.

The number of prisoners who died in Israeli prisons since the start of the occupation 50 years ago amounted to 215, including 75 killed after they were detained, 72 died from torture, 61 died of medical negligence, and seven were shot and killed by prison guards while in prison.

C.K./M.K.