The Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons are suffering greatly due to the violations they endure, including starvation, torture, and sexual harassment. Some of them remain detained for long periods under administrative detention without being charged, at the will of the occupation authorities.
Human rights advocates Ahmed bin Shamsi, the director of communication and advocacy for the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, and Amena Al-Taweel, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Studies, highlighted the extent of violations committed by the occupation against Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and the laws enacted by Israel to oppress Palestinians, justifying their arbitrary arrests.
Bin Shamsi stated that Israel has committed numerous war crimes and violated international law during its aggression on Gaza, which began on October 7th of last year, including the detention of thousands of Palestinians in its prisons.
The arrests were not limited to Palestinians in Gaza but also extended to those in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, where the occupation detained thousands of Palestinians under the “administrative detention” and “unlawful combatant” laws.
Bin Shamsi pointed out that by the end of 2023, 3,291 Palestinians were under administrative detention in Israeli prisons from the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. Additionally, 661 Palestinians were detained under the unlawful combatant law, which allows arrest without any documentation for 45 days, with no right to legal representation for six months.
The human rights advocate emphasized that arrests under these laws are based on secret information without charges being presented to detainees or undergoing trial.
Bin Shamsi estimated that thousands of Palestinian prisoners have been held in Israeli prisons since the beginning of the current war on Gaza and asserted that all the arrests by the occupation violate international laws.
He mentioned the recorded violations against male prisoners in facilities like the Negev prison, including torture, severe beatings, starvation, sexual harassment, and the humiliation and stripping of female prisoners at the Sharon Women’s Prison.
Bin Shamsi described the Negev prison as one of the worst Israeli detention centers for Palestinian men, highlighting the harsh conditions and inhumane treatment, with incidents resulting in fatalities.
He noted that several international reports have been prepared regarding the inhumane practices in Israeli prisons, which were presented to the Israeli Attorney General. Reports by the UN Committee against Torture spoke of extremely dire situations in Israeli prisons.
Several lawyers gathered testimonials from detainees and victims and forwarded them to the Israeli Attorney General. The testimonials revealed incidents of beatings, sexual humiliation, threats to prevent complaints, and the documentation of detainees in compromising positions.
Amena Al-Taweel of the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Studies mentioned that some Palestinians lost their lives due to severe beatings in occupation prisons, with prisoners, including children and women, being restrained while naked and subjected to fatal beatings.
She described Israeli torture practices against Palestinian prisoners as satanic acts and condemned the international community and human rights organizations for their silence concerning Palestinian detainees.
Al-Taweel questioned the credibility of human rights and humanitarian organizations that fail to act to rescue Palestinians and the people of Gaza, considering it a stain on humanity.
She highlighted that former Palestinian prisoners avoid speaking to the press due to Israeli pressures post-release, as their appearance in media could lead to punishment on any pretext.
In conclusion, Al-Taweel expressed disbelief in the atrocities occurring in Gaza, emphasizing the Palestinians’ right to live with dignity and humanity, calling for efforts to ensure their survival.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club recently reported a significant increase in the number of Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli prisons since October 7th last year, with 3,484 detainees, including children and women, surpassing the numbers during the 1987 uprising.
