Ramallah: A Palestinian NGO said on Saturday that Israel continues to detain 21 Palestinian women, including a 12-year-old girl, under harsh conditions and systematic crimes inside Israeli prisons.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Prisoner Society issued a statement on International Women's Day highlighting that the detention of Palestinian women has been a prominent measure historically employed by the Israeli occupation, targeting women and minors. The organization revealed that these 21 detained women face systematic abuse in Israeli prisons, particularly since the onset of what is described as Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

Since the start of Israel's war against Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, human rights organizations have documented 490 cases of Palestinian women being arrested, including minors. The NGO stated that the detention of women, especially minors, has been an unprecedented feature of Israeli tactics during the ongoing conflict.

The organization emphasized the escalating nature of Israel's systematic actions against Palestinian women in both Gaza and the West Bank. Tension has been high across the West Bank, where at least 930 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the beginning of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.