This Monday, six Israeli human rights organizations filed a petition with the Supreme Court, demanding that Israel make public “the names and locations of all detainees” from the past two weeks.
In the past two weeks, approximately 4,000 Palestinians from Gaza who used to work in Israel have been arrested, with their whereabouts and reasons for their detention unknown. This event took place in the middle of the conflict between the Israeli army and the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The lack of information about their situation has raised concerns and prompted six Israeli human rights organizations to petition Israel’s Supreme Court, demanding Israel reveal “the names and locations of all prisoners” as well as “the release of those illegally arrested in the West Bank.”
About 18,500 people from Gaza had work permits in Israel, but Israeli authorities revoked them after the conflict broke out on October 7. Since then, several thousand people have been displaced to the occupied West Bank, and many have been arrested by Israeli security forces, several human rights NGOs said.
Currently “arrested in unspecified locations, with little information about their condition, in an unclear legal situation and without any legal recourse”, the groups Adalah, Doctors for Human Rights, Hamoked and the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.
Today, they say, they have been contacted by their families in Gaza, but “Israeli authorities have refused to provide information about where their loved ones are being held.”
Therefore, the NGOs urge Israel to “provide information on the whereabouts of all detainees and prisoners, in accordance with its legal obligations.” In turn, they denounce the application of “arbitrary and punitive measures against all Palestinians.”
According to local press, these thousands of Gazans are believed to be being held between Ofer Prison, in the occupied West Bank, and military bases, while Israeli forces continue to carry out extensive arrest raids on Palestinian territory, including arrests of Gazans.
Given the situation, six Israeli NGOs today filed “an urgent petition” with Israel’s Supreme Court, asking for the release of Gazans now being held “against their will and without legal basis.”
“Incarcerated workers are being deprived of their fundamental rights, including the right to legal representation,” these groups denounce.
According to them, Israel is committing “an illegal act of revenge” with the “mass revocation” of work permits for workers in Gaza on the day the war broke out and the arrest of many of them.
Since the start of the conflict, the Israeli military has confirmed the arrest of 800 Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 500 it considers linked to Hamas. In turn, he says he arrested 37 members of the Islamist group last night.
In the early hours, Israeli forces carried out extensive raids on several locations in the West Bank, arresting around 123 people, including 40 Gaza workers.
According to Israeli News Channel 12, Israel is investigating whether Gaza operatives provided information or participated in the planning of the Hamas attack 17 days ago.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
