July 22, 2024

Hebrew reports have unveiled a new plan by the Israeli occupation to construct "cages" for detaining a large number of prisoners for extended periods, amidst the increasing daily prisoner count which the current facilities are unable to accommodate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel recently called for an extensive discussion this coming Thursday regarding the issue of Palestinian prisoners, aiming to find a solution to the detention dilemma.

It is anticipated that the project will commence in September and will involve transferring many prisoners from the "Sdei Teiman" detention camps to these cages for prolonged detention, and it is implied that there will be no immediate releases of prisoners held in these cages.

The plan, allegedly framed within "international law," is said to provide an answer to a petition submitted to the Supreme Court concerning this issue, thus enabling the Israeli government to detain thousands of prisoners in these cages.

Previously, Hebrew reports indicated that the Israeli army had to cancel dozens of planned arrests in the West Bank due to severe overcrowding and lack of space in prisons.

Additionally, the occupation was forced to transfer about 500 detainees from the Gaza Strip to prisons managed by the Israeli Prison Administration after holding them without trial or charges in Sdei Teiman camp, which has faced international and human rights criticisms due to the dire conditions of detention.

Early in July, Ronen Bar, the head of the Israeli Shin Bet, sent a message to the government stating that Israeli prisons currently hold 21,000 Palestinian detainees, while the capacity is only for 14,500, although estimates by Palestinian prisoner institutions suggest the number might be higher.