Addameer

THE BRUTAL AND DEGRADING TREATMENT OF DETAINEES IN GAZA: IT WAS NOT CONFINED TO A SPECIFIC PRISON.

addameer — Sun, 12 May 2024 12:31:35 +0000

THE BRUTAL AND DEGRADING TREATMENT OF DETAINEES IN GAZA: IT WAS NOT CONFINED TO A SPECIFIC PRISON.

Addameer has been monitoring since the beginning of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip the wide-ranging arrest campaigns conducted by the occupying forces during the ongoing ground incursion. These arrest campaigns have been accompanied by several legal amendments that have allowed for the practice of enforced disappearance, as well as the brutal and dignity-stripping treatment that has led to the death of dozens of detainees in recent months.

addameer Sun, 05/12/2024 - 15:31

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https://www.addameer.org/news/5350

Date

Sunday, May 12, 2024 - 12:00

The brutal and degrading treatment of detainees in Gaza: It was not confined to a specific prison.

addameer — Sun, 12 May 2024 12:20:05 +0000

The brutal and degrading treatment of detainees in Gaza: It was not confined to a specific prison.

addameer Sun, 05/12/2024 - 15:20

12-05-2024

The Brutal and Degrading Treatment of Detainees in Gaza.pdf

All the legal amendments to the "Unlawful Combatant Law" have focused on granting broader powers to issue arrest orders and allowing a time frame for the detention of individuals without being presented to any legal authority for up to 75 days from the start of the arrest. In addition, detainees are not allowed any legal consultation for a period of up to 6 months. Furthermore, several amendments were made to the "1996 Detentions Law," which allowed for the extension of detention each time for a period of 45 days for investigative purposes, which could extend up to 6 months, without any real judicial oversight during this period regarding torture practices and dignity-stripping treatment. Judges practically colluded with torture crimes by extending the detention of hundreds of prisoners without acknowledging that the amendment undermines the fundamental rights of detainees and violates international law, rendering detention arbitrary and constituting a war crime.

These legal measures have enabled the practice of enforced disappearance against detainees in the Gaza Strip, holding them in complete isolation from the outside world. Testimonies from those who have been released during these months, from camps under army control or prisons under the jurisdiction of the occupying prisons authority, as well as accounts from some lawyers who managed to visit some prisoners in recent weeks, clearly indicate severe violations against the prisoners. These violations range from the moment of initial arrest, systematic torture during interrogation, to ongoing assaults and brutal suppression of prisoners while detained in central prisons like Ofer, Naqab, and others.

The prisoners describe being stripped of all their clothes upon arrest, their limbs painfully restrained, and subjected to brutal beatings. This violence continues during their transfer to detention centers like "Sdeh Teiman" or "Anatot," or what some prisoners refer to as "Al-Baraks," without knowing the location of these facilities or their official names.

According to their testimonies, the prisoners are subjected to collective beatings and abuse by soldiers, using profanities that prisoners are unable to repeat. They are also forced to kneel on gravel or asphalt, spending their days with their hands bound and blindfolded, unable to speak to each other. Soldiers remove the thin mattresses from them from the early morning around 5 a.m. until late at night around 9 or 10 p.m.

In addition to all of this, prisoners in army camps undergo interrogation sessions that involve torture and dignity-stripping treatment. Vicious dogs are set upon them, causing severe injuries. Many prisoners have been injured due to being shackled with iron cuffs, and all of them have emphasized the poor healthcare, especially in the "Sdeh Teiman" camp, where some prisoners have had their hands and legs amputated as a result of these policies.

Furthermore, Gaza prisoners in central prisons also face the same brutal attacks by guards, which occur several times daily during raids on their cells. Prisoners have confirmed the martyrdom of two detainees in Ofer prison and spoke of the critical condition of Dr. Adnan al-Barsh when he was brought to Ofer prison. The occupation authorities employ a deliberate policy of starvation against Gaza prisoners, providing them with insufficient food and not allowing them to leave their rooms at all, not even for a short period daily. Some prisoners have not seen the sun since their arrest seven months ago. They are not allowed to change their clothes, as replacements were only provided in the last week of April. Throughout these months, they have not been allowed to cut their hair, beard, or nails, and they are forced to shower at very distant intervals and wear the same dirty clothes. They complained about the foul odors emanating from their clothes, saying they feel like they are living in a "livestock pen." Some prisoners have experienced fainting spells due to malnutrition.

It is worth noting that prisoners who underwent interrogation in official interrogation centers were subjected to torture methods commonly used, such as stress positions for long hours, and the "banana" position, in which the back is bent, in addition to sleep deprivation and violent beatings on body parts, especially the feet and legs. Some prisoners still bear marks of restraints on their wrists to this day, and some have bruises on their chests or stomachs.

It is worth mentioning that the occupation had announced the martyrdom of 27 prisoners from Gaza in the "Sdeh Teiman" camp, while until now, only the identities of six martyrs who fell victim to torture and harsh conditions endured by prisoners from the Gaza Strip in camps and prisons have been confirmed.

Addameer asserts that there is a reasonable basis to claim that the occupying forces are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against prisoners from the Gaza Strip, in partnership and complicity with the government, judges, prison authorities, police forces, and the occupying army. Therefore, Addameer calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to conduct a special investigation into these crimes against prisoners and to take necessary measures to hold all those responsible for these crimes accountable. Furthermore, it urges all relevant international bodies within the framework of UN procedures to monitor, document, and follow up on these crimes to ensure justice through accountability.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TO ENSURE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT IN ISRAELI PRISONS AND DETENTION CENTERS

addameer — Sun, 05 May 2024 07:52:05 +0000

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED TO ENSURE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT IN ISRAELI PRISONS AND DETENTION CENTERS

Ramallah/Gaza, 2 May 2024 — Addameer, Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) express deep dismay at the news of the killing of 50-year-old orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, while he was being held in Israeli custody.

addameer Sun, 05/05/2024 - 10:52

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https://addameer.org/news/5344

Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Independent International Oversight in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers

addameer — Sun, 05 May 2024 07:49:48 +0000

Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Independent International Oversight in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers

addameer Sun, 05/05/2024 - 10:49

03-05-2024

Immediate Action Needed to Ensure Independent International Oversight in Israeli Prisons and Detention Centers.pdf

Dr. Al-Bursh was the Head of Orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. He also served as the Head of the Medical Department at the Palestinian Football Association and as a member of the Board Committee at the Palestinian Medical Council. Through his work, he has saved countless limbs of Palestinian patients injured during repeated Israeli assaults on Gaza and during the Great March of Return.

As reported by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Dr. Al-Bursh was abducted in December 2023 from Al-Awda Hospital in Jabaliya by Israeli forces during their ground invasion of Gaza. According to the Palestinian Authority’s General Authority of Civil Affairs, Dr. Al-Bursh was killed on 19 April 2024, but the news of his death was only officially announced today. Our organizations can confirm that he was killed while being held in Ofer Prison, an Israeli detention facility in the occupied West Bank operated by the Israeli Prison Services (IPS). His body remains withheld by Israeli authorities.

Earlier in the morning of 2 May 2024, Israeli authorities returned over 60 released Palestinian prisoners and detainees to Gaza via the Karem Abu Salem crossing. Some of them displayed visible signs of physical torture inflicted upon them by Israeli authorities. In addition, the dead body of 33-year-old prisoner Ismail Abdelbari Khader was also returned to Gaza. Dr. Marwan Al-Hems, the Director of the Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, said: “When examining the body, torture marks were found on his wrists, as well as swelling in shoulders, kneels and chest. The prisoner died inside the prison under torture. We do not know if he had a [blood] clot. But it is clear that he died inside prison.”

Israeli authorities held Palestinian residents of Gaza separately from other Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Many are being held in ad hoc, army-administered detention camps, primarily situated in the Naqab desert in southern Israel. Testimonies from released prisoners indicate that the torture inflicted on Gaza detainees has reached unprecedented levels. During their abduction and detention, Palestinian residents of Gaza are treated as ‘human animals’, demonstrating that the dehumanizing and genocidal rhetoric used by the highest levels of the Israeli leadership to characterize Palestinians was embraced throughout all ranks within the military and the IPS.

According to our preliminary documentation, Ismail’s body is the first body of a Palestinian prisoner or detainee who “died” while in Israeli custody to be returned to Gaza. Between 7 October 2023 and 22 April 2024, there have been 16 documented deaths of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons as a result of medical negligence or escalated torture practices against them. Among them, two were residents of Gaza: Majed Zaqoul, a 32-year-old worker detained in Ofer Prison and a second individual whose identity remains undisclosed as Israeli authorities refuse to provide any information.

Our organizations maintain that the actual number of Palestinians who have "died" while in Israeli custody is much higher than the documented cases suggest. This assertion is grounded in the dozens of testimonies from released prisoners collected by our organizations and other civil society organizations. These testimonies include accounts from tortured detainees who witnessed other fellow detainees being beaten to death. Indeed, since 7 October 2023, not only have Israeli authorities denied access to lawyers and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegates to visit Palestinian detainees, but they have also refused to provide accurate and timely information on thousands of Gaza detainees, including their whereabouts, as well as on Palestinian detainees who have "died" while in their custody.

The international community must exert pressure on Israel to ensure full transparency regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees, including providing regular and accurate updates on their health conditions and general conditions, as well as the whereabouts and fate of hundreds of Palestinian residents of Gaza subjected to enforced disappearance. Pressure must also be exerted for Israeli authorities to engage in open and meaningful communication with lawyers, human rights and civil society organizations working to protect and guarantee the rights and dignity of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

We also urge the international community to take immediate and concrete action to ensure international investigative mechanisms—including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel—are granted unfettered access to Israeli prisons and detention centers. These bodies must be empowered to conduct thorough investigations into the alleged atrocities perpetrated by Israeli authorities against Palestinian prisoners and detainees, such as the killing of Dr. Al-Bursh. Without such access, accountability and justice for Palestinian victims remain elusive.

In addition to investigating reported crimes, it is essential to establish an independent, international presence of human rights observers to monitor detention conditions thoroughly. This necessity arises from the alarming reports of limited access for lawyers and ICRC delegates, particularly concerning Gaza detainees. The lack of access raises grave concerns about the treatment and well-being of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, particularly given the dozens of testimonies collected by our organizations reporting serious instances of torture, cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. Without any oversight, there is a heightened risk of human rights violations going unchecked, perpetuating a cycle of abuse and impunity.

Therefore, it is imperative that international investigative and monitoring mechanisms are granted immediate access to Israeli detention centers to ensure accountability, protect Palestinian detainees' and prisoners’ rights, and prevent further violations from occurring.

PRISON VIOLENCE

addameer — Sun, 05 May 2024 07:39:13 +0000

PRISON VIOLENCE

Palestinian prisoners endure severe levels of torture, degradation, and inhumane treatment inside Israeli prisons. These violations are evident in the mistreatment of sick, wounded, and hunger-striking prisoners, as well as the torture inflicted on healthy prisoners. The policy of torture and inhumane treatment has long been employed by the occupying state against prisoners. The prisoner movement has documented cases where prisoners developed diseases, disabilities, or died as a result of military interrogations. Furthermore, excessive force has been used by prison units or special forces during raids on prison sections, resulting in injuries or fatalities among the prisoners.

addameer Sun, 05/05/2024 - 10:39

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https://www.addameer.org/media/5342

Date

Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 12:00

THE WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY IN THE TIME OF GENOCIDE: OCCUPATION CONTINUES TO DETAIN (53) JOURNALISTS, INCLUDING (43) DETAINED AFTER THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER

addameer — Fri, 03 May 2024 18:04:32 +0000

THE WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY IN THE TIME OF GENOCIDE: OCCUPATION CONTINUES TO DETAIN (53) JOURNALISTS, INCLUDING (43) DETAINED AFTER THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER

Ramallah - Palestinian prisoner institutions (The Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, The Palestinian Prisoners' Club Association, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) stated that the occupation has committed horrific crimes against Palestinian journalists in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the comprehensive aggression against our people throughout Palestine. This phase has been the deadliest for journalists compared to previous periods witnessing Palestinian uprisings and popular movements. According to data from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Israeli occupation's targeting of journalists has led to the martyrdom of (135) Palestinian journalists.

addameer Fri, 05/03/2024 - 21:04

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https://www.addameer.org/news/5340

Date

Friday, May 3, 2024 - 12:00

The World Press Freedom Day in the time of genocide: Occupation continues to detain (53) journalists, including (43) detained after the seventh of October

addameer — Fri, 03 May 2024 16:18:12 +0000

The World Press Freedom Day in the time of genocide: Occupation continues to detain (53) journalists, including (43) detained after the seventh of October

addameer Fri, 05/03/2024 - 19:18

03-05-2024

The institutions added in a statement on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, which falls on the third of May each year, "Targeting Palestinian journalists has constituted and still constitutes one of the most prominent policies pursued by the occupation throughout its history. This is in addition to the assassination operations it has undertaken, which have escalated unprecedentedly. Since the beginning of the genocide, targeting journalists has been a pivotal moment in the history of Palestinian journalism, especially in Gaza. The occupation did not suffice with targeting them during their journalistic work but systematically targeted their families as well. Many journalists and their families were martyred during the genocide as part of revenge operations against them. The occupation turned their families into targets and tools to threaten and retaliate against them, in a continuous attempt to silence their voices and assassinate the truth and details of the genocide in Gaza.

Arrest operations have constituted one of the most systematic policies utilized by the Israeli occupation system against Palestinian journalists over decades. The Israeli occupation continues to detain (53) journalists in its prisons and camps, including (43) who were detained after the seventh of October 2023. They are part of a total of (70) journalists who have been subjected to arrest operations after this date, specifically in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. This is in addition to the ongoing threats, field assaults, detention, and continuous pursuit during their field journalistic coverage.

The institutions pointed out that four journalists from Gaza are still subject to enforced disappearance, and the occupation refuses to disclose their fate or provide any clarification regarding them. Two of them were arrested at the beginning of the aggression, they are: Nidal Al Wahidi and Haitham Abdul Wahid. In addition to two journalists who were arrested from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza during the extensive aggression against the hospital, they are: Mahmoud Ziyad Alawwa and Mohammed Saber Arab.

The institutions also highlighted that among the detained journalists are four female journalists, including a nursing mother. They are: Ikhlas Sawalha, Rula Hasanein, Bushra Al Taweel, and Asmaa Hreish. Additionally, journalist Sumaya Jawabreh remains under house arrest under strict conditions imposed on her. It is worth noting that Sawalha, Al Taweel, and Hreish are subject to administrative detention.

The occupation authorities utilized the policy of administrative detention under the pretext of having a "secret file," which has affected thousands of citizens after the seventh of October. They used it as a tool to impose further control and surveillance over journalistic work, attempting to deprive journalists of their right to freedom of opinion, expression, and the practice of their profession. The number of journalists targeted by the occupation with administrative detention after the seventh of October reached (23) journalists, one of whom was released yesterday.

In addition to the crime of administrative detention, the occupation also used arrest on the pretext of so-called "incitement" through the media outlets they worked in and social media platforms. These platforms, which were once tools for freedom of opinion and expression, have turned into instruments for targeting journalists and Palestinians in general. The indictment lists presented against journalists for "incitement" illustrate the occupation's insistence on pursuing journalists based on their journalistic work without any legal justification for these arrests. The occupation deliberately crafted vague provisions in these indictments, alleging "incitement" and "sympathizing," without clear parameters, enabling them to use them as a weapon against journalists in particular and Palestinians in general, and incarcerate them.

Since the seventh of October, some of the indictment sheets have started with a preamble explaining what happened on the seventh of October, when the occupation declared a state of war, as if to justify the wide-scale arrest campaigns that escalated unprecedentedly after that date. It is worth noting that these preambles, which are included, demonstrate the illegality of the arrests, and the arrests are based on the current political situation, indicating a policy of collective punishment and the execution of wide-scale arrest operations regardless of the nature of their work or their ages.

The detained journalists in the occupation's prisons and camps face all retaliatory and punitive measures imposed on prisoners and detainees in general, in addition to torture and humiliation, the policy of starvation, and systematic medical crimes. This is apart from the continuous policies of deprivation and deprivation against them and their detention in harsh and humiliating conditions.

The case of the administrative detainee journalist Muath Amarnah from Bethlehem stands out, where Amarnah suffers from a previous injury by Israeli army gunfire sustained in 2019 while performing his journalistic work. This injury resulted in the loss of his left eye and the bullet lodged in his brain. Additionally, he suffers from other health problems, including diabetes, and requires urgent medical follow-up. Since his arrest on October 16, 2023, Amarnah has been subjected to systematic harassment and deprived of his basic rights, specifically his right to treatment and medical care. He currently suffers from oppressive and tragic detention conditions. It is worth noting that the occupation renewed his administrative detention for the second time for a period of four months in March 2023.

The institutions also highlighted the case of journalist Tareq Al-Sharif, who was arrested on charges of so-called "incitement." Al-Sharif was arrested on November 19, 2023, after the Israeli army raided his home in Al-Bireh city. Throughout his detention in one of the camps near Ramallah, he remained tied and blindfolded, deprived of using the bathroom and drinking water, and subjected to physical assault. Al-Sharif faced interrogation sessions regarding his journalistic work, specifically regarding an episode of his morning program aired on Rayya FM radio on October 8, 2024, as well as other radio episodes from 2021 to 2023. During his detention and after being presented to court, Al-Sharif underwent interrogation by the Israeli intelligence agency (Shabak) regarding his Facebook posts. The occupation authorities charged journalist Al-Sharif with incitement based on these allegations.

The occupation continues to detain four female journalists, including journalist Rula Hasanein, who was arrested from her home in Bethlehem on March 19, 2024. She is a nursing mother to a daughter who was nine months old when her mother was arrested. Her daughter's health deteriorated after her mother's arrest. The occupation authorities charged journalist Hasanein with incitement and held several trial sessions for her. Although the occupation court issued a decision to release her on bail, the Israeli prosecution appealed the decision. A hearing was held to consider the appeal in April of last year, and until today, no decision has been issued by the court. The occupation holds journalist Hasanein in Damon Prison alongside dozens of female prisoners in harsh, isolating, and tragic conditions.

Prisoner institutions renew their demands for the immediate release of the journalists detained in Israeli occupation prisons and for revealing the fate of the Gaza journalist who is subjected to enforced disappearance. They also call upon the United Nations and all international institutions to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the crimes committed by the occupation against prisoners and detainees. Mere publication of reports, testimonials, and warnings is not enough. After nearly seven months of genocide and its continuation, all of this has lost its meaning, with the occupation being blatantly supported by certain international forces while the humanitarian community and the voices of freedom advocate for the Palestinian right to determine their own destiny.

(End)

ON INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' DAY: THE OCCUPATION HAS ARRESTED THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIAN WORKERS AFTER THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER.

addameer — Wed, 01 May 2024 08:40:50 +0000

ON INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' DAY: THE OCCUPATION HAS ARRESTED THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIAN WORKERS AFTER THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER.

The Israeli occupation system has targeted Palestinian workers, as well as all segments of the Palestinian people, over many decades. Arrests and persecution have been among the occupation's prominent policies. Moreover, a significant portion of Palestinian prisoners who have struggled for the freedom of their land and people come from the working class. Over the years, the occupation has worked on developing its tools and policies to target them, depriving them of their rights, and imposing further control and surveillance on their right to work and life.

addameer Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:40

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https://www.addameer.org/news/5335

Date

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 12:00

On International Workers' Day: The occupation has arrested thousands of Palestinian workers after the seventh of October.

addameer — Wed, 01 May 2024 08:13:01 +0000

On International Workers' Day: The occupation has arrested thousands of Palestinian workers after the seventh of October.

addameer Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:13

01-05-2024

1/5/2024

In a statement issued by the Prisoner Institutions (The Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, The Palestinian Prisoners' Club Association, and Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association) on the occasion of International Workers' Day, which falls on the first of May every year, they affirmed that amidst the escalating aggression of the occupation and the beginning of the genocidal war against our people in Gaza over the course of about 7 months, the issue of Palestinian workers has become prominent. This is seen in light of the escalating crimes and systematic violations against them, including arrests, persecution, and torture.

Thousands of Palestinian workers from all Palestinian geographies have been subjected to mass arrests and systematic crimes, specifically after the seventh of October. This falls within the framework of the collective punishment policy that the occupation has escalated in an unprecedented manner compared to periods in Palestine marked by uprisings and broad popular waves against the Israeli occupation system.

The institutions continue in their statement, "The majority of the arrests targeting workers after the seventh of October were aimed at workers from our people in Gaza, who were present to work in the occupied territories of 1948. According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, the number of workers from Gaza who were present in the occupied territories in 1948 before the seventh of October was approximately 10,300 Palestinian workers, 3,200 of whom were released at the Karm Abu Salem crossing at the beginning of November 2023. Some of them still bore plastic tags on their wrists bearing numbers, and they were released from the detention centers where they were held. Approximately 6,441 workers were deported to the West Bank governorates, while around 1,000 workers remain missing due to the ongoing crime of enforced disappearance against Gaza detainees. The occupation refused to disclose any information about them and only announced the existence of two camps belonging to the army to detain Gaza detainees, including the "Sdeh Teiman" camp near Beersheba and the "Anatot" camp near Jerusalem. However, detention locations were not limited to these camps as some workers were detained in Ofer Prison."

The occupation has intensified its pursuit and arrest operations against workers for entering without permits into the occupied territories of 1948 to work during the past few months. This comes amidst escalating policies of systematic oppression against our people, expansion of settlements, and the confiscation of Palestinian funds. These arrest operations have been accompanied by various forms of assault and detention under oppressive and difficult conditions.

The institutions emphasize that the occupation practices acts of abuse, torture, and deprivation against the detained workers, in addition to all retaliatory measures imposed on prisoners and detainees inside its prisons and camps. These measures include policies of starvation and continuous humiliation. Furthermore, the assaults accompanying their arrest operations have led to the martyrdom of three workers in the occupation's prisons and camps after the seventh of October. They are among 16 martyrs among the prisoners who passed away after the seventh of October: (the martyr Majid Zaqqoul from Gaza, the second martyr whose identity could not be confirmed by the institutions, also from Gaza, in addition to the martyr Abdul Rahim Amer from Qalqilya).

In light of the releases of detainees from Gaza, some of them have begun speaking to the Palestinian media about the conditions of these camps and the inhumane circumstances they have endured, reaching the level of torture. The prisoners have affirmed being held in the open air, with their hands shackled throughout their detention period, in addition to blindfolding. They have also reported the practice of starvation, thirst, and denial of medical treatment, as well as being held in unclean places that do not meet the minimum standards of human life.

One of them reported in his testimony: "While he was with 70 other workers in accommodation in the area of Rahat on 10/10/2023, the landlord evicted them. Afterwards, they were transferred to the Rahat police station and detained in an uncovered outdoor yard within the facility. They were bound hand and foot with plastic restraints, blindfolded, and kept in this state for 12 hours. During this period, the police officers continued to beat them, and police dogs were set upon them, biting their bodies. They were kept under the sun without food or drink."

Afterward, they were transferred to Ofer Prison, where they were held in a barracks measuring approximately 700 square meters, divided into two sections, with each section holding around 150 workers. The conditions in the cells were very poor, as each section contained only three portable toilets and lacked shower facilities. Both the cells and the toilets were devoid of any personal hygiene essentials such as soap or toilet paper.

The institutions present an example of visits conducted to the (Ofer) detention center, where the occupation has detained dozens of detained workers, including those arrested for entering without permits. Some of them, despite obtaining permits, were subjected to arrest, interrogation, and investigation. Additionally, some of them were transferred to administrative detention.

The visits conducted to the detention center included dozens of testimonies, some of which were from workers about torture, abuse, and severe beatings they endured during their arrest. This continued even after their transfer to the detention center, where detainees, including workers, were subjected to harsh interrogations, assaults, theft, and deprivation.

On February 11, 2024, a visit was made to the (Ofer) detention center, operated by the Israeli military administration, where the occupation was holding more than 80 detainees at the time, the majority of whom were workers. These are excerpts from testimonies conveyed to the lawyer who visited them:

The prisoners in the (Ofer) detention center, numbering 85 detainees, mostly workers arrested for working without permits, reported that the prison administration provided them with rotten and inedible meals. At the time, the detainees returned the meals several times due to their unsuitability for consumption. Some prisoners, due to their deteriorating health and lack of food, fainted. In response, the prison administration stormed the cells, beat them, threw their blankets outside the rooms, forced them to strip completely, and left them naked in the cold. Most of them were workers at the time. These are excerpts from numerous testimonies provided by detained workers in this detention center, reflecting a high level of brutality and unprecedented violations.

The Prisoner Institutions renew their call to all international human rights organizations at various levels to open an independent international investigation in light of the continuing escalation of crimes and genocidal war against our people in Gaza. They call for action to put an end to the escalating and unprecedented crimes against prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons and to restore their rightful and necessary role in the face of the brutality of the occupation system, with the support of international forces. These forces are ignoring the entire humanitarian and human community. Every voice of the free world that rises in support of the Palestinian people's right to determine their own destiny is heard.

(End)

SUMMARY OF ARREST CAMPAIGN DATA FROM OCTOBER 7TH UNTIL TODAY, APRIL 22, 2024:

addameer — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:54:29 +0000

SUMMARY OF ARREST CAMPAIGN DATA FROM OCTOBER 7TH UNTIL TODAY, APRIL 22, 2024:

These data do not include any figures regarding the number of arrests from Gaza, as the occupation continues to refuse to disclose them and enforces enforced disappearance against them, estimated to be in the thousands. It should be noted that the occupation has detained hundreds of Gaza workers in the West Bank, along with Gaza citizens who were present in the West Bank for medical treatment.
- Total Prisoner Numbers: As of the end of March, the total number of prisoners exceeded 9,500, including over 3,660 administrative detainees and 849 categorized as "illegal combatants" from Gaza. These numbers are available only as clear data from the Israeli Prison Service.

addameer Mon, 04/22/2024 - 14:54

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https://www.addameer.org/news/5327

Date

Monday, April 22, 2024 - 12:00