Days of Palestine – Jeruslaem
The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) has reported that 26 Palestinian prisoners in Ofer jail have suffered injuries during the violent raids on their cells that happened following the death of prisoner Dawoud al-Khatib three days ago.
Khatib died last Wednesday in Israel’s Ofer prison, a few months before he was set to complete his 18-year sentence. This death has provoked angry reactions from his fellow inmates.
According to PPS, the wounded prisoners have suffered different injuries and seven of them were physically assaulted and attacked with pepper spray by Israeli prison forces.
The Ofer jailers have also confiscated all electric appliances and other vital needs from the prisoners and wreaked havoc on their personal belongings as punitive measure against them.
The Ofer prisoners, for their part, responded by taking several protest steps, including their refusal, since three days, to have meals served by jailers.
In a related context, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs has said that the extremely hot and humid atmosphere inside Israeli jails have turned the lives of Palestinian prisoners into a hell.
According to the Commission, the severe heat wave has aggravated the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails dozens of times, especially in the desert and coastal prisons, such as Negev, Nafha, Ashkelon, Damon, and Gilboa.
These violent raids have involved the use of dogs, batons, tasers, large-scale damage and confiscation of prisoners’ belongings by the heavily armed units. Most concerningly, these armed units (including the Masada, Dror, Yamaz and Yamam units) fired tear gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets inside closed prison rooms, endangering prisoners’ health and even their lives.
There are between 1,000 and 1,200 Palestinian prisoners held in Ofer, including hundreds of Palestinian children.
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