OPINION - Israeli crimes against Palestinian prisoners and detainees continue amid ongoing arrest campaign

By Read Mohammed Mahmood Amer

- The author is president of the Palestinian Prisoners Association.

ISTANBUL (AA) - Since Oct. 7 and the subsequent war of extermination in Gaza, the Israeli occupation authorities have escalated their systematic arrest campaigns, resulting in approximately 9,200 detainees from the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, in addition to thousands from Gaza. Furthermore, they continue to carry out systematic crimes against Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The daily arrest statistics reflect not only an increase in numbers but also in the level of accompanying crimes, notably the extrajudicial executions carried out by the occupation army during incursions into governorates, towns, and camps, affecting all categories, including women and children.

Over more than eight months of continuous and escalating aggression, the occupation system at all levels has committed horrific and serious crimes against Palestinian prisoners and detainees, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 18 prisoners, as announced by specialized institutions, with the number of martyrs among Gaza detainees estimated to be in the dozens. Recently, in an international investigative report, the occupation disclosed the martyrdom of 36 Gaza detainees in prisons and camps. To date, it has refused to release full details on their identities and the circumstances of their deaths amid the ongoing crime of enforced disappearance against Gaza detainees. This has led to the highest number of martyrs among prisoners and detainees to date, according to figures recorded by specialized institutions.

- Condition of prisoners and detainees after Oct. 7

The Israeli occupation continues to commit more crimes and acts of torture and abuse against prisoners and detainees, continuing the extermination of our people in Gaza. Since the beginning of the aggression, the Israeli prison administration has imposed a series of measures to tighten the noose and retaliate against Palestinians held inside the prisons, including with assaults, severe beatings, torture, and starvation. This has resulted in hundreds of prisoners injured due to the brutal treatment carried out by suppression forces, particularly in the early stages of the aggression. The methods of abuse have varied, including with tactics of imposed thirst and hunger, the withholding of all basic daily needs, and the provision of only the bare minimum. The Israeli prison administration has taken away all electrical appliances and clothing, including prisoners' food, and isolated them from the outside world. They crammed detainees into already packed cells, adding to the high level of overcrowding and escalating medical crimes.

The prison administration has turned all prison systems, including the so-called security check procedure, into a point of humiliation. The transfer of prisoners and lawyer visits have become opportunities for guards and suppression units to assault and humiliate them, imposing strict visitation restrictions, such as bringing the prisoner to visits blindfolded and in handcuffs. Another significant issue involves strip searches that female prisoners face, particularly at the temporary detention station of Hasharon Prison.

- Condition of female prisoners

It has been noted that the number of female prisoners in occupation prisons exceeds 75, most being in Damon Prison. Many have been charged with incitement on social media, a pretext used often by the occupation to arrest Palestinians after Oct. 7. Those against whom the occupation could not formulate incitement charges were placed under administrative detention.

As time passes, these measures worsen prisoners' suffering. The level of testimonies obtained by specialized institutions through legal teams and from released prisoners reflects the horrific details that peaked in the early months of the aggression. These testimonies continue to surface with more visits and releases, revealing the extent of the occupation's brutality against prisoners and the leaders of the prisoners' movement.

A notable issue is the spread of skin disease among prisoners, particularly scabies, in several prisons due to conditions lacking in basic hygiene. The Israeli prison administration has confiscated spare clothing, leaving each prisoner with only one set, adopted a policy of overcrowding, and deprives them of essential personal hygiene supplies and necessary medical treatment. Children are among those affected.

Recently, the occupation of Gaza has further intensified the restrictions that legal teams must navigate. Under baseless pretexts and threats, several members have been barred from visiting prisoners. The prison administration has erected numerous obstacles to hinder visits in general. Even the International Committee of the Red Cross is prevented from visiting prisoners and detainees in Israeli occupation prisons.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu