Israeli prison authorities have imposed a series of additional punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli imprisonment since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, the Commission of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs said today.
The Commission said these punitive measures against the prisoners include:
– Medical neglect: Doctors have not visited the sections for over 40 days, despite the fact some of the prisoners are in critical condition or have chronic health issues requiring continuous check-up. 70% of the sick prisoners have been deprived of medications, except for painkillers, and in very limited quantities.
– Poor-quality and insufficient food: The provided meals are undercooked, with a foul smell and taste. Quantities are minimal and insufficient.
– Denial of access to the exercise yard: Prisoners are not allowed to go to the yard for recreation.
– Confiscation of personal items: All electrical appliances, personal belongings, clothe
s, blankets, and pillows have been confiscated.
– Daily power cuts: Electricity is cut off daily from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
– Overcrowded cells: The rooms are extremely crowded, with some detainees forced to sleep on the floor.
– Recurrent assaults: Detainees are subjected to frequent assaults in their cells, often without apparent reason. There are also repeated raids by inspection units, marked by brutal and savage suppression.
– Canteen deprivation: Detainees are deprived of purchasing goods from the prison canteen.
– Windows in prison cells are open 24 hours a day, exposing the prisoners to extremely cold temperatures, especially during the night, with all blankets and clothing already confiscated by prison authorities.
– Restriction on visits: Detainees are denied visits from lawyers and family members.
– Prohibition on drinking mineral water: Detainees are not allowed to drink bottled water and are required to fill their bottles from bathroom taps.
– Limit on clothing: Prisoners and detainees are
only permitted to have one set of clothes and one set of underwear. If the clothes get dirty, detainees must wash them and wait until they dry to wear them again.
These intensified measures against Palestinian detainees exacerbate their already challenging conditions, prompting concerns from human rights organizations and advocates.
Last week, Amnesty International said in a report that Israel had extended its emergency measures that facilitate inhuman and degrading treatment of Palestinian prisoners, amid reports of systematic torture against the detainees.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA