Lock 'Em Up

Much has been written and said in the Western media about the fate of the innocent Israelis taken hostages by Hamas in October 2023.  They deserve all the empathy we can muster. 

So too, though, do the thousands of Palestinians essentially held hostage by the Israeli government.

Here are a few numbers pertaining mostly to the subject of cruel confinement::

                                        Number of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas: 59

Number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails for “security reasons”: 9,619

Number of Palestinians held in jail for “being in Israel illegally”: 1,705

Number of more Palestinians arrested for every one freed by Israel in the most recent ceasefire deal: 15

Number of Palestinians currently held indefinitely on "secret information without charging them or allowing them to stand trial "– known as “administrative Detention”: 3,327

Number of Gazans killed yesterday by U.S.-made bombs: 50

Number of those who were waiting for food assistance: 3