MONITORING (SW) – Israel has continued arresting dozens of Palestinians in West Bank and East Jerusalem during conducted prisoner release with Hamas.
In the first four days of the ongoing truce, Israel released 150 Palestinian prisoners – 117 children and 33 women also Hamas released 69 captives – 51 Israelis and 18 people from other nations.
Over the same four days, Israel arrested at least 133 Palestinians from East Jerusalem and the West Bank, according to Palestinian prisoner associations.
“As long as there is occupation, the arrests will not stop. People must understand this because this is a central policy of occupation against Palestinians and to restrict any kind of resistance,” Amany Sarahneh, spokesperson for the Palestinian Prisoners Society, told Al Jazeera.
According to Sarahneh, it is not yet clear whether Israel has provided any guarantees that it will not rearrest those who have been released. “The biggest evidence that these people may be rearrested is that the majority of people being detained now are freed prisoners,” she added.
The Qatar-mediated ceasefire commenced on Friday, November 24, after 51 days of intense Israeli bombardment in Gaza Strip.
Israel has killed more than 15,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since then, the majority of them women and children.
On Monday, the original four-day truce was extended for another two days, during which an additional 60 Palestinians and 20 captives are expected to be released.
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