‘Israeli’ Court Extends Palestinian Woman’s Detention amid Pandemic

By Staff, Agencies

An ‘Israeli’ occupation court extended the detention of female Palestinian activist, Aya Khatib, amid widening calls to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners from Zionist detention centers at a time of the new coronavirus pandemic.

The court in the occupied city of Haifa on Sunday rejected a request to place the Palestinian woman under house arrest and decided to extend her detention and postpone her trial until May 13, the Palestinian Information Center reported.

Khatib, mother of two children, was detained by ‘Israeli’ occupation forces at her house in the Wadi Ara region of the occupied territories two weeks ago.

She would volunteer for collecting aid for the needy.

The Zionist regime’s so-called Security Agency, known as the Shin Bet, claimed that the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas recruited the young woman to carry out espionage activities and raise funds.

Her family members have appealed to human rights groups to intervene for her release as she is suffering harsh detention conditions. She has been denied family visits.

Separately on Saturday, the Tel Aviv regime decided to delay the release of Palestinian detainee Qassam al-Khatib, 30, despite the end of his 14-month prison term.

Qassam al-Khatib, a resident of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, has been arrested off and on. The last time was over a year ago at an ‘Israeli’ checkpoint near Ramallah.

His trial was delayed several times before an ‘Israeli’ court sentenced him to 14 months in jail last year.