On Prisoners’ Day, here is why Palestinians held by Israel are hostages

On Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, the spotlight turns to the nearly 10,000 Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons, including hundreds of children and women. This year marks one of the most devastating periods in recent history, with a dramatic surge in arrests and deaths in Israeli Prisons. According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, the number of prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons reached over 9,900 at the beginning of this month — including 400 Palestinian children and 27 women. This figure does not include Palestinian prisoners from Gaza. At the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, the number of prisoners was over 5,250 — meaning the number has almost doubled in the past year.