More than 2,000 detainees from Gaza are being held in harsh conditions across several Israeli prisons, according to the Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies, which says many face severe abuse, starvation and medical neglect.
In a statement released Monday, the rights group said Gaza detainees are currently distributed among several facilities, most notably Ofer Prison, Negev Prison, and Sde Teiman Detention Facility, along with other recently established detention centers.
The center revealed that hundreds of Gaza prisoners are being held in special sections inside Ofer Prison that are controlled directly by the Israeli military and where they are not allowed to mix with detainees from other Palestinian areas.
Gaza Graveyard
Prisoners have reportedly nicknamed these sections the “Gaza Graveyard,” describing them as places where detainees endure terrifying and potentially lethal conditions around the clock. According to testimonies cited by the organization, prisoners are held inside dark cages that resemble graves.
The rights group said detainees in these sections suffer extreme cold during the winter months without adequate clothing or blankets. Since their arrest, many have been given only light undergarments and are still forced to wear them months later.
Israeli occupation authorities, the group said, intentionally leave windows open to allow cold air to enter the cells, turning them into what prisoners describe as “refrigerators.” Because of a shortage of beds, many detainees are forced to sleep on the floor. Mattresses are reportedly taken away in the morning and returned only at night, worsening the hardship.
The center also reported daily raids and punitive measures against prisoners. During these incidents, detainees are allegedly tied from behind with tight plastic restraints that cause severe pain and are forced to lie on the ground for hours. Police dogs are sometimes released to walk over their bodies and urinate on them, while soldiers reportedly step on prisoners’ heads in what the group described as attempts to break their will and strip them of their dignity.
According to the organization, Gaza detainees in Ofer Prison are also facing severe food deprivation that has reached the level of starvation. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the report said, prisoners are not provided with a pre-dawn meal. The food served for the evening meal is described as minimal and poor in quality, forcing detainees to save small portions for later despite the already scarce rations.
As a result, the center said, prisoners are showing visible signs of emaciation, weakness and significant weight loss.
Many detainees are also suffering from untreated illnesses. Some were reportedly arrested while already wounded and have not received proper medical care. Others suffer from serious health conditions and face what the organization described as deliberate medical neglect, which worsens their health due to overcrowding and harsh living conditions.
The center added that a large number of Gaza prisoners in Ofer have contracted scabies, a contagious skin disease that has spread widely in the prison sections. The outbreak, it said, has effectively become a form of torture because of limited cleaning supplies, the lack of hot water, and the practice of housing infected prisoners together with healthy detainees.
Medical neglect
The group warned that torture, starvation and medical neglect have already led to the deaths of dozens of Gaza prisoners in Israeli detention facilities, including Ofer Prison. It said Israeli authorities continue to conceal details surrounding the deaths as part of what it described as an ongoing policy of enforced disappearance.
According to the center, the identities of 52 prisoners who died in custody have been confirmed so far. The most recent was paramedic Hatem Ismail Rayan. However, the organization said there are additional unidentified victims whose deaths have not yet been fully documented.
The report also alleged that dozens of Palestinians were killed during their arrest or detention through live gunfire or by being run over by military vehicles.
The center called on international institutions to establish urgent investigative committees to visit the prison sections where Gaza detainees are held, particularly underground sections in Rakefet Prison Section and the Gaza prisoner wings in Ofer and Negev prisons.
It said Israeli authorities practice various forms of abuse, torture and deprivation in these facilities while denying detainees the most basic human rights.
Conditions in Israeli prisons have deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Human rights groups say tighter prison restrictions and a surge in arrests have led to severe overcrowding and worsening living conditions.
Reports from prisoner advocacy organizations indicate that food portions have been reduced, detainees have been stripped of many personal belongings, and strict limitations have been imposed on family visits and communication with the outside world.
Rights groups have also documented cases of assault, mistreatment and medical negligence against prisoners. At the same time, the number of Palestinians held under administrative detention — imprisonment without charge or trial — has reached unprecedented levels.
According to data from Palestinian prisoner affairs organizations, more than 9,500 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons as of early March 2026, including 73 women and around 350 children.
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