Israel starving thousands of Palestinian detainees in its prisons: NGO

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – A Palestinian organization has accused Israel of starving more than 9,100 Palestinian detainees in its prisons.

“Israeli prison authorities continue to starve more than 9,100 detainees, including women, children and sick,” the Palestinian Prisoner Society, a local NGO, said in a statement on Monday.

“Israel is also restricting their freedom to practice their religious rituals,” it said.

Tension has soared across the occupied West Bank amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last October.

According to Palestinian figures, more than 420 people have since been killed, 4,600 injured and more than 7,530 others detained.

“Starvation is the most dangerous policy pursued by the Israeli occupation since Oct. 7, in addition to torture and abuse,” the prisoner society said.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

According to local health authorities, more than 31,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli war on Gaza, and over 72,700 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli onslaught has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar