New testimonies have been revealed about the tragic conditions experienced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, which have intensified since October 7, 2023.
A Palestinian government body revealed tough testimonies of a number of Palestinian prisoners held in the Israeli Negev prison, after lawyers were able to visit them recently.
In a statement, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission described the Negev prison as a “cemetery,” adding that the Israeli prison administration adopts a revenge policy against Palestinian prisoners, deliberately abusing and torturing them, and depriving them of the most basic necessities of life.
The Commission pointed out that “many prisoners have been exposed to serious injuries and infectious diseases, the most important of which is scabies, in addition to sharply losing weight.”
The Commission pointed out that the prisoners “are constantly feeling weak due to starvation, deliberate humiliation, and degradation, in addition to medical negligence, as sick prisoners were not exempted from torture and deprivation of treatment and medication.”
The Commission quoted prisoner Qusay Husay, 20, who has been detained since November 4, 2023, as saying that he “suffers from skypus disease, and his health condition is very difficult,” adding that he has asked the prison administration dozens of times for treatment to no avail.
The prisoner explained that as a result of these symptoms, he cannot sleep for days on end, noting that 10 prisoners in his room suffer from the same disease, “some of whom constantly bleed.”
For his part, prisoner Ayman Mahmoud Atshan, 29, from the town of Aroura, Ramallah District, who has been detained since November 1, 2023, said that he suffers from “pain due to fractures in his ribs as a result of severe beatings, and he cannot move or get out of bed except with the help of others.”
As for prisoner Mujahid Abu Al-Ezz, 30, who is from Jenin camp and has been detained since December 12, he said that he suffers from skypus disease.
In turn, prisoner Jalal Hilal Shakhshir, 31, from Nablus told his lawyer that he had head injuries due to the severe beating he has been subjected to, which led to the deterioration of his health and psychological condition, adding that this affected his concentration, and that he needs medical follow-up amid total medical negligence.
Israeli jailers have increased their arbitrary attacks and violations against Palestinian prisoners since the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip began on October 7, 2023. These violations include sexual insults, severe beatings, and forcing them to urinate on another prisoner. They have also been known to slap, punch, and beat those who refuse to kiss the Israeli flag.
The number of Palestinian prisoners dying as a result of the increasing Israeli abuses has increased, and medical records demonstrate that some of them suffered from extreme violence and others from willful medical negligence.
Furthermore, the Israeli prison administration intentionally lowered the standard of medical care that Palestinian inmates received by denying them access to prison clinics, canceling their ability to leave the prison to receive care in hospitals, distributing medication irregularly, and failing to provide examinations and follow-up medical care from prison medical staff.
The international community and human rights organizations need to put pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to ensure that human rights are respected and to stop these oppressive practices against palestinian prisoners.
