DaysofPal- Newly leaked documents have unveiled a startling truth that notes 75% of Palestinians detained from Gaza since October 2023 are civilians with no links to political groups, despite being labeled “unlawful combatants” by Israeli occupation forces.
A collaborative investigation by The Guardian and the Hebrew news site Sicha Mekomit showed that approximately 6,000 Palestinians have been detained under the Israeli 2002 “Unlawful Combatants Law.
This law allows for indefinite detention based on undisclosed intelligence and without trial.
Internal military intelligence records reveal a stark reality, noting that only about 1,450 detainees are identified as members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
The remaining 4,550 are civilians, including vulnerable individuals such as doctors, patients, women, and the elderly.
The report shares harrowing stories, like that of Fahima al-Khaldi, an 82-year-old Alzheimer’s patient detained for six weeks due to an “inappropriate arrest.
Similarly, Abeer Ghabbain, a mother of three, faced detention from a name mix-up, finding her children begging in the streets when she was released.
Soldiers have recounted poor conditions in detention camps, with special sections for the elderly and disabled.
Critics, including senior Israeli officers, estimate that 85–90% of detainees are not affiliated with Hamas.
Rights groups said that these mass arrests serve as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges, raising ethical and legal concerns.
Currently, 2,662 people remain detained under this law, facing harsh conditions: reduced food rations, barred legal meetings, and prolonged detentions without hearings.
Rights groups stated that the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails amounts to collective punishment and violates international law.
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