Lina Al-Tawil, director of the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy, stated that what is happening inside Israeli prisons represents a serious and unprecedented escalation in policies of repression against Palestinian prisoners, amid the imposition of harsh collective punishments that directly and systematically target them.
Al-Tawil added that the prisoners are living under extremely harsh conditions, where they are provided with poor-quality food in limited quantities that do not meet their basic daily needs. This comes as part of a clear policy aimed at weakening them physically, in addition to depriving them of treatment and medical care despite the serious deterioration of their health conditions.
She explained that prison authorities impose strict restrictions on water, with prisoners being supplied with extremely scarce amounts—down to what can be described as “dripping.” This has led to worsening health conditions and the widespread outbreak of scabies due to lack of hygiene and poor living conditions.
Al-Tawil confirmed that prison guards have escalated psychological intimidation methods by issuing direct threats to prisoners, stating that “the instructions are that you should die, and even after your death you will not leave,” reflecting a dangerous level of violations inside the prisons.
She pointed out that the punishments include arbitrary solitary confinement depending on the guard’s mood, preventing “recreation time,” and imposing strict restrictions that go as far as banning side conversations inside rooms, in an attempt to isolate prisoners psychologically and break their internal cohesion.
Al-Tawil further noted that repression units carry out repeated search campaigns using police dogs up to four times a day, accompanied by physical assaults and deliberate humiliation during prisoner counts, alongside the widespread use of surveillance cameras in all sections to enforce strict monitoring of prisoners’ daily lives.
She stressed that what is happening inside Israeli prisons constitutes a grave and systematic violation of all international laws and conventions, calling for urgent international intervention to stop these policies and hold those responsible accountable.
