DaysofPal- The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has warned that Israel’s ongoing state of emergency is being used to intensify violations against Palestinian detainees, urging the urgent return of regular prison visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The PPS issued a statement warning against unchecked actions by prison officials against Palestinian inmates. It said the continuation of emergency measures, combined with global attention focused on the military confrontation between Israel and Iran, has created conditions that worsen detainees’ suffering and expand the scope of abuses inside prisons.
The PPS spokesperson, Amjad al-Najjar, stated that prison administrations have recently escalated repressive measures. These include tighter movement restrictions within prison sections, reduced daily yard time, intensified raids and searches, arbitrary transfers, and the imposition of collective punishments.
He said these steps form part of a systematic policy designed to isolate prisoners from the outside world and increase psychological and physical pressure on them.
Al-Najjar added that the ongoing state of emergency grants prison authorities broad powers that are being used to justify further restrictions, including limiting detainees’ access to legal counsel. He described these actions as clear violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which guarantee protections and basic rights for prisoners.
The statement stressed that international focus on the war with Iran must not serve as a cover for escalating violations inside detention facilities. It called on the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities toward thousands of Palestinian detainees, including women, children, and the sick, who face deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The PPS pointed to shortages in medical care, declining food supplies, and the spread of illness, particularly in overcrowded sections.
The organization demanded urgent international protection for prisoners through the dispatch of independent fact-finding missions to inspect prison conditions. It also called for pressure on Israeli authorities to halt arbitrary measures and comply with international standards governing the treatment of detainees.
In addition, the PPS urged the restoration of regular, unrestricted visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to monitor health and living conditions inside prisons and to ensure detainees can communicate with their families, a fundamental right protected under international conventions.
Al-Najjar concluded by affirming that the issue of prisoners remains a national and humanitarian priority. He held Israeli authorities fully responsible for the lives and safety of detainees and warned that continued international silence encourages further violations and undermines the foundations of justice and human rights in the region.
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