The Israeli occupation authorities continue to commit grave violations against Palestinian prisoners held in its prisons. Detainees are subjected to ongoing and systematic repression, facing brutal methods of humiliation and abuse designed to break their dignity and undermine their humanity.
The Israeli Prison Service continues the crime of enforced disappearance against hundreds of detainees—especially those from the Gaza Strip—held in secret detention facilities where lawyers are denied access and are unable to monitor their conditions or well-being.
Systematic torture—ranging from physical and verbal assault, to prolonged sleep deprivation, and the denial of food, water, and medical care—has become the defining feature of how Israeli authorities and the Prison Service treat Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
At the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy, we have documented a continuous and unprecedented rise in administrative detention cases over the past two months, with more than 380 new administrative detainees—a figure unmatched in the entire history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israeli courts have effectively become active partners with the Israeli intelligence services in perpetuating the crime of administrative detention.
It is also worth noting that families of prisoners from Gaza have received no information or updates about their sons for nearly two years. These families were already banned from visitation under alleged Israeli “security” justifications—a ban that has extended to women, children, and entire families.
In light of these escalating and dangerous developments, the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy states the following:
First:
We call for urgent international protection for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as a prelude to holding all individuals and entities involved in systematic torture—amounting to extrajudicial killing—accountable.
Second:
We urge international organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territories to take broader action to expose and document the ongoing repressive practices against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Third:
Based on the information in our possession, we warn that prisoner deaths could occur at any moment due to the catastrophic and horrifying conditions inside Israeli prisons, detention centers, and holding facilities.
Fourth:
We stress the need for all Palestinian institutions and bodies to engage in adopting a clear action plan to support and defend Palestinian prisoners, especially in light of global distraction by regional and international developments.
