Israeli abuse of administrative detention

Palestinians holding banners gather to protest against the decision of Israel's "administrative detention" in front of the Red Crescent Building in Gaza City, Gaza on December 20, 2021 [Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency] Palestinians holding banners gather to protest against the decision of Israel's administrative detention policy on 20 December 2021 (Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency) Professor Kamel Hawwash.

Palestinians are held in administrative detention, which Israel abuses at will with no accountability. A practice it uses to hold Palestinians for extendable periods without charge, even small children on suspicion that they pose a "security threat". Once it has designated the evidence as 'secret', it can apply repeatedly for renewal of detention, which the Israeli courts almost always uphold.

Scope

The Palestinians have Britain to 'thank' for this law, which Israel introduced in 1979, based on the British Mandate 1945 (Defence Emergency) Regulations.

The United Nations has pointed out that calls on Israel to comply with its obligation have come to no avail. In international law, administrative detention is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, and only for short periods of time. Israel's practices exceed all of the international legal boundaries.

Professor Kamel Hawwash

January 7, 2022 at 2:26 pm The Palestinian people rightly saluted Hisham Abu Hawash as a brave man who was prepared to die in pursuit of his freedom. On 4 January, the occupation state of Israel agreed to his release following his almost five-month long hunger strike. Images of Hisham's frail, almost skeletal body were widely shared on social media, together with a video of Hisham's children visiting and hugging their dying father, raising anger amongst human rights defenders.