Israel jails Palestinian candidate ahead of elections

The Israeli occupation's prison authorities have sent an imprisoned Palestinian candidate for next month's legislative elections to solitary imprisonment near Ramleh, according to the candidate's relatives, IRNA reported

The Palestinian prisoner, identified as Muhammed Metlaq Abu Juheisheh from the town of Idna, 20 kilometers west of Hebron, was reportedly transferred on Monday from the Kitziot detention center to Ramle, where he will be confined to a very small cell.

According to his son, the punishment was apparently related to the fact that Abu Juheisheh's name appeared on Hamas' candidate list.

"They are sending him to solitary confinement because he is running in the elections," said his son Mua'th.

Abu Juheish is a college and community leader and has been imprisoned repeatedly for speaking up against the Israeli occupation.

He was arrested by the Israeli army nearly three months ago as part of an Israeli army crackdown on political activists affiliated with the Islamic resistance group Hamas.

The Israeli army has arrested as many as 1500 political activists in the West Bank since September.

Israel holds more than 8000 Palestinian political and resistance activists, many without charge or trial.