Israel holding more than 600 without charge, most since 2016

A local rights group says Israel is holding around 600 Palestinian detainees without charge or trial, the highest number since 2016

JERUSALEM -- Israel is holding some 600 Palestinian detainees without charge or trial, the highest number since 2016, an Israeli rights group said Monday.

Israel says it uses so-called administrative detention to thwart attacks and to hold dangerous militants without revealing sensitive intelligence. Palestinians and rights groups say the system is widely abused and denies due process, with some detainees held for months or years without seeing the evidence against them.

HaMoked, an Israeli rights group that regularly gathers figures from prison authorities, said that as of May there were 604 detainees held in administrative detention. Nearly all are Palestinians, as administrative detention is very rarely used against Jews.

HaMoked says 2,441 Palestinians are serving sentences after being convicted in military courts. Another 1,478 detainees are being held for questioning, have been charged and are awaiting trial, or are currently being tried.