Ramallah, July 28 (RHC)-- Israeli troops have raided a detention facility in southern occupied territories, assaulted dozens of Palestinian inmates and then forcibly transferred many of them to other sections of the jail.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Committee reported that Israeli troopers stormed Ward 10 of Nafha Prison in the Israeli town of Mitzpe Ramon, located 164 kilometers (102 miles) south of Tel Aviv, on Monday, and broke into the rooms, where Palestinian prisoners from the impoverished Gaza Strip are being held.

Prisoners set fire to a number of rooms in the old section of jail in a show of protest against the crackdown by Israeli prison officials.

The Israeli authorities cancelled family visits for Gazan inmates, and transferred the prisoners to other wards of Nafha Prison by force.

The development came a day after Palestinian media outlets reported that the Israeli regime is currently holding 391 Palestinians in administrative detention, a two-fold increase compared to similar figures released in the summer of 2014.

The substantial hike in the number of the Palestinians held captive indefinitely without charge or any legal proceedings in administrative detention comes as a result of a decision by the Israeli military to lower the requirements for enforcing such kinds of detentions.

Over the past years, Palestinians held captive in various Israeli prisons have resorted to hunger strikes as a way to protest their illegal detention.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Committee has repeatedly warned about the deteriorating health conditions of the prisoners that go on hunger strike.

Israeli forces routinely abduct Palestinians in the West Bank and keep them behind bars for at least six months in administrative detention. The detention order can be renewed for indefinite periods of time.

More than 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly incarcerated in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers, many of them without charge or trial.