Palestinian Prisoners As of October 2015, there are approximately 6,700 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, of which 320 are children.136 These prisons are usually located inside Israel,137 in direct contravention of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that “protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein.”138 Although detention centers are most often located in military bases or colonies inside the West Bank, these too are off limits to Palestinians as they also need special permits to enter such areas.139 Israel requires that visitors obtain a special entry permit to visit prisoners, except for children under the age of 16, who are generally allowed to visit.140 Only first degree relatives are allowed to visit Palestinian prisoners, and without being given any justification for the rejections, hundreds of families fail to obtain the necessary permits, meaning that the prisoner cannot receive any visitors.141 This violates Article 116 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that “every internee shall be allowed to receive visitors, especially near relatives, at regular intervals and as frequently as possible.”142 Furthermore, those relatives who do manage to obtain a permit to visit a prisoner often have to wait three months for a permit that is only valid for one year, and the family visits themselves only take place once every other two weeks, for a duration of 45 minutes.143 136 Addameer, “Statistics”, located 24 November 2015. Available at: http://www.addameer.org/statistics 137 Addameer, “Administrative Detention in the occupied Palestinian Territory, a Legal Analysis Report Third Edition”, 2013, page 29. Available at: www.addameer.org/sites/default/files/publications/legal_ analysis_report_english_final_4.pdf 138 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention)”, 12 August 1949. Available at: http:// www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36d2.html 139 Addameer, “Administrative Detention in the occupied Palestinian Territory, a Legal Analysis Report Third Edition”, 2013, page 29. Available at: www.addameer.org/sites/default/files/publications/legal_ analysis_report_english_final_4.pdf 140 Addameer, “Family Visits”, located 24 November 2015. Available at: http://www.addameer.org/key_ issues/family_visit 141 Ibid. 142 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention)”, 12 August 1949. Available at: http:// www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36d2.html 143 Addameer, “Family Visits”, located 24 November 2015. Available at: http://www.addameer.org/key_ issues/family_visit 40