Around 5,300 Palestinians detained by Israel so far in 2022, rights group says

Israel has detained around 5,300 Palestinians so far in 2022, a prisoners' advocacy group said on Monday.

Among the cases documented were 620 children, 111 women and 1,610 Palestinians held in administrative detention, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club (PPC).

There were 2,353 Palestinians detained in Jerusalem – more than anywhere else – the PPC said on its website.

The group said 272 administrative detention orders were made in August, the greatest number so far in 2022.

Administrative detainees have neither been charged with a crime nor granted a trial, and they and their lawyers are prevented from seeing the evidence against them.

Administrative detention orders last typical for terms of three to six months, which can be renewed.

The practice has been criticised by rights organisations, who consider the practice a breach of due process.

"In violation of the restrictions placed by international law, Israel makes routine, extensive use of administrative detention," leading Israeli rights group B'Tselem said in April.

Amnesty International said administrative detention "may be lawful in certain circumstances" in a February report that found Israel was engaged in a system of apartheid against Palestinians.

However, the rights watchdog added, "Israel's systematic use of it against Palestinians indicates that it is used to persecute Palestinians, rather than as an extraordinary and selective security measure".