Last week, Israeli occupation prisons witnessed an unprecedented wave of repression targeting Palestinian prisoners in all detention centers, resulting in varying degrees of injuries among them. Media sources specializing in prisoner affairs reported that repression units affiliated with the prison administration carried out widespread raids affecting all sections, amidst a state of extreme tension prevailing in the detention centers.
The sources confirmed that the occupation forces used excessive force against unarmed prisoners, as sound bombs were fired, pepper gas was sprayed, and batons were used extensively. These assaults resulted in a number of prisoners sustaining injuries and bruises, requiring some of them to be transferred to hospitals and medical centers affiliated with the prisons for treatment, amid a blackout by the prison administration on the true extent of the injuries.
According to field data, these raids were carried out simultaneously last Thursday, which indicates a prior political and security decision to brutalize the prisoner movement during the holy month of Ramadan. Observers considered that the simultaneous attacks at one time aim to disperse the prisoners' ability to protest or respond to these blatant violations of their fundamental rights.
For their part, Palestinian national forces described what happened as a new war crime added to the series of crimes committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people inside and outside prisons. Statements indicated that targeting specific prisons such as 'Naqab Desert' and 'Gilboa' reflects the occupation's desire to break the will of prisoners who already face harsh detention conditions.
Palestinian factions held the occupation prison administration fully responsible for the lives and safety of all prisoners, warning that the continuation of this repressive policy would lead to an explosion of the situation inside and outside prisons. They called on the Palestinian masses to escalate solidarity activities with prisoners in city centers and friction points to pressure the occupation to stop its aggression against detainees.
On the human rights front, humanitarian organizations issued urgent appeals to the international community and UN organizations for immediate intervention to stop these violations and provide international protection for prisoners. These organizations affirmed that the silence of the international community encourages the occupation authorities to continue violating international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the treatment of prisoners.
In conclusion of the issued statements, the Prisoners' Information Office stressed that the door is now open for all human rights bodies to document these crimes and refer them to international courts. The office called for the necessity of sending international investigation committees to ascertain the extent of the brutalization suffered by prisoners, especially in light of the deliberate medical negligence policy that accompanied the recent crackdown.
What happened in the occupation prisons reflects a systematic policy aimed at breaking the will of prisoners and brutalizing them, especially with the deliberate execution of raids at one time during the month of Ramadan.
שתף את דעתך
Injuries among Palestinian prisoners following a simultaneous crackdown in occupation prisons