Gaza, ALRAY - The Israeli occupation has escalated its detention campaigns against Palestinian citizens in the first quarter of this year, detaining at least 1,600 people, according to a Palestinian prisoners' rights group.

The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies said that the largest number of detentions took place in occupied Jerusalem, where around 700 Palestinians were detained by the Israeli occupation army since the start of 2023.

The centre explained that the Israeli occupation uses detentions as means to suppress the Palestinian people and undermine their resistance to the occupation.

The Israeli occupation is holding some 4,780 Palestinian detainees, including 34 women and around 160 children, according to Palestinian prisoners' rights organisations.