Following Amnesty International :

Palestinian Detainees Face Severe Mistreatment

Palestinian lawyer Hassan Abadi, who has been visiting detainees weekly since 7 October, reported to Amnesty International that Palestinian detainees are enduring severe mistreatment. They have been denied outdoor exercise, subjected to humiliating practices such as being forced to kneel during inmate counts, and have had personal belongings confiscated or burned. Women prisoners in al-Damon prison have also had their sanitary pads confiscated. Abadi mentioned a client who was threatened with rape while blindfolded at Kiryat Arba police station near Hebron.

Increase in Arbitrary Detentions

The use of administrative detention against Palestinians has surged in 2023, with the number of detainees rising from 1,319 on 1 October to over 2,070 by 1 November. This form of detention allows Israeli authorities to hold individuals without charge or trial based on secret security grounds, bypassing due process. Amnesty International criticizes this practice as a systematic tool for persecuting Palestinians. Additionally, at least 105 Palestinians from Gaza have been detained indefinitely under the “Unlawful Combatants” Law, not recognized by international law.

Call for Action

Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, called on Israeli authorities to reverse inhumane measures against Palestinian prisoners, grant them access to lawyers and families, and release all arbitrarily detained individuals. She also urged for urgent monitoring of detention conditions by the International Committee of the Red Cross and demanded impartial investigations into allegations of torture and ill-treatment.