Human Rights Organizations: Occupation Prisons Have Become 'Genocide' Arenas Against Palestinian Prisoners

Palestinian organizations concerned with prisoner affairs affirmed that Israeli detention centers have become a stage for systematic genocide, where thousands of Palestinians are subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. The Commission of Detainees' Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, and Al-Dameer Association, in a joint statement on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, clarified that these practices have escalated at an unprecedented rate since the start of the widespread aggression in October 2023.

Human rights sources indicated that the policy of torture is no longer individual cases but has become a fixed approach that begins from the first moment of arrest and continues during interrogation and detention. These violations include severe beatings, deliberate humiliation, and deprivation of basic needs such as water, food, and sleep, which has led to a serious deterioration in the health of thousands of detainees.

The statement revealed the deliberate spread of skin and infectious diseases inside cells, foremost among them scabies, which is used as an additional torture tool by depriving those infected of treatment or personal hygiene. The organizations added that these harsh conditions have caused long-term suffering for prisoners, especially children, women, and the elderly, whom the occupation has not exempted from its repressive measures.

The Palestinian organizations stressed that the occupation deliberately conceals evidence of crimes committed inside detention centers by preventing the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent human rights missions from visiting prisoners. They considered that this blackout aims to isolate detainees away from international oversight, which constitutes a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.

In a related context, the report noted that UN bodies issued serious warnings during 2025 and 2026 regarding systematic ill-treatment in Israeli prisons. These bodies demanded the necessity of opening independent and transparent international investigations to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable and ensure that perpetrators do not escape punishment under the guise of political and military immunity.

Regarding numbers, human rights organizations documented the arrest of approximately 23,000 Palestinians from various governorates of the West Bank by occupation forces since October 7, 2023. These widespread campaigns included night raids and incursions into cities and villages, affecting released prisoners, activists, and entire families, in an attempt to intimidate Palestinian society and break its will.

In conclusion of their statement, the organizations called on the international community to activate universal jurisdiction to prosecute Israeli leaders involved in torture crimes. They also demanded the imposition of deterrent sanctions on the occupation authorities to compel them to respect prisoners' rights, provide urgent international protection for them, and ensure access to medical and humanitarian aid inside prisons without restriction or condition.

Israeli prisons have become one of the central arenas for manifestations of genocide against the Palestinian people.