New Delhi [India], April 18 (ANI): The Embassy of the State of Palestine has issued a press statement drawing urgent attention to the situation of Palestinian prisoners on the eve of Prisoners Day, describing it as a long-standing issue that has been widely criticised by human rights organisations.

In its statement, the embassy said that the widespread arrest and imprisonment of Palestinians continues to be one of the most severe measures used to silence voices demanding freedom and self-determination. It added that since 1967, nearly three-quarters of a million Palestinians have been arrested and detained.

The statement further highlighted developments since October 7, 2023, claiming that approximately 22,000 Palestinians have been arrested in the Occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem. Among those detained, it said, are 1,760 children, over 731 women and 240 journalists. It also noted that there have been more than 19,954 administrative detention orders, which it said account for around 91 percent of total arrests in the period cited.

Referring to long-term detention concerns, the embassy said that 326 prisoners have died in custody since 1967, with 97 bodies still being withheld. It further claimed that 86 of these deaths occurred since October 2023, while several detainees from Gaza remain subjected to enforced disappearance.

According to the statement, around 9,600 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including approximately 350 children and 84 women. It added that 3,532 detainees are under administrative detention without charge or trial. The embassy also alleged that detainees face harsh conditions, including medical neglect, restrictions on basic rights, physical abuse, and in some documented cases, sexual violence. It further stated that more than one hundred detainees have reportedly died in custody since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The statement also criticised the practice of administrative detention, calling it rooted in colonial-era legislation such as the Rowlatt Act, and said such mechanisms have continued in modified forms allowing detention without charge or trial for indefinite periods under security pretexts.

It further expressed concern over recent Israeli legislative developments, including a so-called 'Death Penalty' law related to Palestinian prisoners, arguing that such measures raise serious legal and moral questions under international law.

Citing a report titled 'Another Genocide Behind Walls,' issued in April 2026 by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, the embassy said Israeli detention centres have been transformed into a systematic, state-run structure of abuse operating with institutional support and impunity. It added that the report warns these practices may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, requiring urgent international accountability.

The embassy concluded by reaffirming that the issue of Palestinian prisoners remains central to what it described as the broader struggle for justice and dignity, and urged the international community to uphold international law and ensure protection for all detainees. (ANI)