The Israeli occupation authorities continue to deprive 14 Palestinian mothers of their freedom and the ability to embrace their children. To date, 25 Palestinian female prisoners are languishing in Israeli prisons, suffering from extremely difficult and deplorable conditions. The arrest of these mothers has deprived dozens of children of their mothers.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, and the Addameer Association said in a joint statement on Thursday, marking Mother's Day, that the recent period has been one of the bloodiest and most brutal months for Palestinian women, as violations have escalated systematically, especially with the ongoing brutal aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people everywhere. Palestinian women, especially female prisoners, live in conditions of oppression and abuse that violate all their human rights, in a scene that is repeated daily without any accountability.

The statement added that since the first days of the genocidal war, the occupation authorities have launched widespread arrest campaigns targeting tens of thousands of citizens, including women and mothers. Following the genocidal war against the Palestinian people, the highest rate of arrests of women was recorded, with the occupation authorities arresting approximately 500 Palestinian women, including mothers and women used as hostages to pressure family members to surrender.

The Tragedy of the Palestinian Mother: Arrest, Isolation, and Endless Suffering

The statement said that the tragedy of the Palestinian mother begins from the moment the occupation forces violently storm her home, often in the late hours of the night, where she is snatched away from her children at gunpoint, amidst the screams of her young ones and the scenes of deliberate abuse before their eyes. Her suffering does not stop at the point of arrest, but rather continues during the harsh transfer and interrogation processes, where she is subjected to humiliation and psychological and physical torture. Female prisoners have also been prevented from family visits since the beginning of the war of genocide.

The suffering of female prisoners in interrogation and detention centers

After their arrest, female prisoners' suffering is transferred to the occupation's interrogation centers, where they are subjected to harsh interrogation and detention methods. They are forced to stand for long hours in inhumane conditions, deprived of sleep and food, and face constant threats of all forms of violence aimed at extracting confessions or obtaining information. Many of them are denied the right to speak with their lawyers, which exacerbates their suffering and leaves long-term effects on their physical and mental health.

Al-Damon Prison: Cruelty and Inhumane Detention Conditions

The occupation forces detain the vast majority of female prisoners in Al-Damon Prison, which is considered one of the most prominent detention centers for Palestinian women. Female prisoners in this prison face harsh conditions that have become significantly more difficult since October 7, 2023, especially in the weeks that followed this date. Female prisoners were subjected to continuous attacks, including solitary confinement and abuse by repression units, in addition to the confiscation of all their personal property and deprivation of their most basic rights, including the right to communicate with their families and children.

As part of these ongoing violations, the prison administration implemented a starvation policy, preventing female prisoners, like other prisoners, from purchasing food from the canteen and providing them with meals that were both poor in quantity and quality. It also practiced a policy of deliberate medical neglect against them. In addition, overcrowding in the prison exacerbated the suffering of female prisoners, as many of them were forced to sleep on the floor amid a severe shortage of clothing and blankets. This was exacerbated by the cold weather, as some female prisoners were forced to wear the same clothes they were detained in for long periods without changing.

Medical crimes against female prisoners: ongoing suffering and denial of treatment

Prisoner (R. A.) is three months pregnant inside the occupation's prisons.

Medical crimes against female and male prisoners in Israeli prisons constitute an ongoing human rights policy for decades. Many female prisoners are denied access to necessary medical care despite suffering from chronic illnesses or injuries sustained during detention. Female prisoners are denied essential medications, and some suffer severe delays in receiving treatment, further exacerbating their health conditions.

Among the female prisoners, at least one is three months pregnant. She is a mother of two girls and suffers from difficult health conditions due to deliberate medical neglect. This prisoner and other female detainees are not provided with adequate care, and their rights to undergo the necessary tests or receive the treatment necessary to preserve their health and the life of their fetus are being excluded. This neglect constitutes a flagrant violation of the rights of pregnant women in prisons, and increases their psychological and physical suffering in the absence of medical care, while they are denied high-quality meals and the severe food shortages that deprive pregnant women of the necessary nutrients needed to ensure their safety and that of their fetuses.

Mothers of prisoners: constant anxiety and complete disconnection

Prisoners are not the only ones who suffer the bitterness of isolation and deprivation. The suffering extends to their families and mothers outside the prisons. Thousands of Palestinian mothers live in daily anxiety over the fate of their imprisoned children, unable to check on them or hear their voices. All prisoners today, without exception, are deprived of contact with their families due to the occupation's repressive measures, which prevent visits and cut off all means of communication.

Among the cases of imprisoned mothers are the mother of two martyrs, the prisoner Hanin Jaber from Tulkarm, and another prisoner suffering from cancer, the prisoner (F.A.) from Qalqilya, in addition to two sisters who are imprisoned mothers, Iman and Afnan Zahour from Hebron, and there is a mother and her daughter imprisoned together from Nablus, they are Dalal Halabi and her daughter Islam, in addition to the prisoner Aya Al-Khatib who has been imprisoned since before October 7th.

Arrests of Women in Gaza After the War of Extermination: Continued Suffering and Harsh Stories

Following the war of extermination and the ground invasion launched by the occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, many Palestinian women were subjected to arrest in inhumane conditions. An unknown number of them were arrested as part of a systematic policy of the occupation aimed at taking revenge on the Palestinian people, especially mothers. The arrests included women of all ages, including mothers, students, activists, and even minors. Despite the lack of accurate statistics, the policy of enforced disappearance was the dominant factor.

Among these painful human stories stands out the case of an elderly female prisoner from the Gaza Strip, who remains in occupation prisons despite her advanced age. This mother was arrested along with her two daughters. One of her daughters spent a long time in detention before being released, while the mother remained in detention and continues to suffer from the effects of aging and illnesses exacerbated by medical crimes.