Palestinian rights groups report harsh conditions for Gaza detainees in Israel's Ofer Prison

By Awad Rajoob

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Detainees from Gaza held in Israel’s Ofer Prison near Ramla are facing “degrading and shocking conditions,” two Palestinian rights organizations have said.

The report, released by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society on Wednesday, follows recent visits by lawyers to meet six Gaza detainees.

The report details “tragic conditions and shocking accounts of torture and abuse” observed during these visits, including practices that the groups claim amount to systematic torture.

According to the rights organizations, the prison administration continues to “strip detainees of their rights in a manner that constitutes abuse,” describing torture as “a core experience” for Gaza prisoners.

The detainees reported being forced to shout “thank you, Captain (prison head)” in Hebrew, with punishments imposed on those who refuse. They also alleged denial of healthcare and being forced into degrading sitting positions.

The rights groups said inmates suffer from cold, especially at night, due to inadequate warm clothing and blankets.

The groups “a pattern of retribution driven behavior among guards and soldiers, who appear to be competing over who can treat the detainees most harshly,” along with “enforced disappearances” affecting hundreds of detainees from Gaza.

Israel launched a war on Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian group Hamas. Since then, thousands of detainees from the enclave, including women, children, the elderly, and medical personnel, are said to be held in Israeli prisons.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio