In the Damon Prison in Israel, 80 Palestinian female prisoners are enduring severe detention conditions, marked by instances of torture and starvation. This situation has been reported by attorneys who have repeatedly visited the prison and interacted with the detainees.
Among these women is a pregnant prisoner in her fourth month, struggling with hunger. Intentionally, the prison administration has been providing her with burnt and inedible food. Additionally, an 82-year-old prisoner from Gaza suffers demeaning and humiliating treatment.
The persistence of torture, mistreatment, humiliation, and vindictive acts has exacerbated the brutality of the women’s detention conditions, with increased hunger and severe cold adding to the distress. This has been conveyed by both the visiting lawyers and Palestinian human rights groups.
The cells where these women are held face severe overcrowding, with the majority sleeping on the floor and denied access to blankets by the prison authorities.
Some of the women have reported still wearing the same clothes since their arrest, with their detention extending beyond a month. The prison authorities have been refusing to permit the entry of new clothing.
Most of these 80 women prisoners hail from Gaza, with others from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and from the 1948 territories.
The prison administration separates Gaza prisoners from those of the West Bank and the occupied interior, cutting off their communication. The Gaza women endure heightened mistreatment and degrading conditions, including being provided dirty and unfit drinking water by the prison administration. The occupying forces remain non-transparent about their conditions and restrict legal team visits.
Most of the Palestinian women arrested post-October 7 have been subject to systematic abuse, torture, and humiliation, including strip searches and physical assaults by female guards.
It’s noteworthy that the majority of the West Bank female prisoners are held under administrative detention, or face charges related to social media incitement.
Administrative detention is a form of imprisonment based on a military order citing a security threat, issued without an indictment, and can extend to six months, renewable.
The total count of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails surpasses 7,800, including more than 2,870 under administrative detention, as of the end of November.
The frequency of raids and arrests in the West Bank cities has intensified, coinciding with the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza for 86 days, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.
These arbitrary arrests starkly violate fundamental human rights, encompassing the right to liberty and personal security, and the right against torture or cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. They also infringe on personal freedom and the right to a fair trial, with detainees held without legal evidence and proper judicial orders.
These violations necessitate the international community and human rights organisations to exert pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to respect human rights and end these oppressive actions.”
