33 Palestinian women held under inhumane conditions in Israeli jail: Advocacy group

An independent human rights advocacy organization says 33 Palestinian women are suffering from inhumane conditions at Damon prison in the occupied territories, amid the Tel Aviv regime’s intensified crackdown on detainees.

In a statement released on Monday, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Center for Studies (PCBS) said Israel’s Prison Service (IPS) has escalated its violations against the female Palestinian detainees by depriving them of multiple basic rights in recent months, the Palestinian Information Center reported.

It went on to say that the IPS has carried out repeated raids on the female inmates’ cells, maltreating them, confiscating their belongings, and fining them for allegedly violating prison laws.

The rights organization further noted that there are seven mothers and several elderly women among the female prisoners, adding that some of the inmates are suffering from difficult health conditions and deliberate medical negligence.

Back in March, two rights advocacy groups reported on the occasion of International Mother’s Day that Israel is holding 12 Palestinian mothers in jail who are subject to various kinds of torture and not allowed to meet with their relatives.

The Palestinian Information Center, citing a report by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, said the imprisoned Palestinian mothers serve different prison terms, while one of them is being held without charge or trial.

Female prisoners have been allowed to see only one adult member of their family since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak and the suspension of family visits for Palestinian prisoners.

The report noted that since 2015, the number of Palestinian women who have been arrested has reached more than 900, among them mothers of prisoners, martyrs, and minor girls.

More than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails, with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.

Over 500 detainees, including women and minors, are being held under the so-called administrative detention in various Israeli prisons, with some of whom being held in that condition for up to 11 years without any charges brought against them.

The detention takes place on orders from a military commander and on the basis of what the Israeli regime describes as ‘secret’ evidence.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express their outrage at the detentions and harsh conditions in Israeli jails.

Senior Palestinian officials say Israel must be held accountable for its persecution of Palestinian people, including its mass and arbitrary detentions.

Palestinian inmates have also been subjected to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

Israeli jail authorities also keep Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions, lacking proper hygienic standards.

Israeli forces have also arrested more than 17,000 minors since 2000.