Israel Holds Two Pregnant Palestinian Women in Harsh Prison Conditions

DaysofPal — Human rights groups have sounded the alarm over the deteriorating health and prison conditions of two pregnant Palestinian detainees, Reema Balawi from Tulkarem and Zahraa Al-Kawazbeh from Bethlehem, currently being held in Israel’s Damon Prison under increasingly harsh and inhumane circumstances.

According to a statement released Wednesday by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, both women are five months pregnant and are suffering from “organized and systematic violations,” including starvation and the denial of basic necessities.

The organization accused the Israeli prison administration of deliberately withholding essential needs from both women, as part of broader policies of deprivation targeting Palestinian prisoners, even those with critical health and maternity needs.

Reema Balawi, 31, a mother of two, was arrested from her home in Tulkarem in February 2025 on charges of alleged “incitement.” Zahraa Al-Kawazbeh, 37, a mother of three, was detained in early April 2025 while returning with her family from Jericho.

Israeli courts have extended their detention multiple times, with upcoming hearings scheduled for May 18 for Al-Kawazbeh and June 15 for Balawi.

The Prisoners’ Club noted that Balawi suffers from blood disorders due to thalassemia and needs ongoing medical care. Al-Kawazbeh has neurological issues and also requires urgent medical attention.

The group warned that these conditions are part of a larger pattern of systematic arrests of Palestinian women, which has escalated since Israel launched its full-scale assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Since the start of the war, human rights organizations have documented 525 arrests of Palestinian women. As of now, 37 women remain imprisoned, including two who are five months pregnant.

Advocates are calling on international human rights bodies to intervene immediately and pressure Israel to uphold the medical and humanitarian rights of all detainees, especially pregnant women whose lives and unborn children are at risk.