DaysofPal – More than 9,400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons are marking Eid al-Adha this year under increasingly harsh conditions, amid an unprecedented escalation in abuse, deprivation, and systematic mistreatment.
The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies said the holiday, which once brought moments of joy and solidarity inside prisons, has become another source of suffering for detainees since October 7, 2023.
According to the center, prisoners in previous years would prepare for Eid by wearing their best available clothes, decorating prison rooms with scraps of fabric and colored paper, and making simple sweets with limited resources in an effort to create an atmosphere of happiness and preserve their morale.
However, the organization said that festive occasions have now effectively turned into “tools of torture and abuse” under the current policies implemented by Israeli authorities.
The center noted that this Eid marks the sixth religious occasion prisoners have endured under policies aimed at “destroying them morally and physically.”
Palestinian prisoners, including women detainees, are spending the holiday deprived of family visits for nearly three years. The center emphasized that such visits represent a “lifeline” for prisoners, especially during religious holidays and significant family occasions.
The suspension of visits has also caused severe shortages of clothing and blankets, both winter and summer items, as prison administrations have failed to provide basic necessities. Families had previously been able to deliver some supplies and food items during visits, while the closure of prison canteens has further deepened shortages of essential goods.
The center reported that prisoners continue to face repeated violent raids and punitive measures, including being handcuffed and forced onto the ground for long hours, physical assaults, and the use of tear gas, while injured detainees are allegedly denied medical treatment. Mattresses and blankets are also reportedly confiscated from prisoners from early morning until late at night.
Female prisoners, the report added, are similarly subjected to systematic repression involving beatings, humiliation, tear gas attacks, and transfers to solitary confinement, in addition to ongoing overcrowding, hunger, and the continued denial of family visits.
The organization further accused Israeli occupation forces of implementing a deliberate starvation policy aimed at weakening prisoners physically and increasing their vulnerability to illness, particularly amid a near-total absence of adequate healthcare.
It also warned of the widespread outbreak of scabies across Israeli prisons, saying thousands of detainees have contracted the disease. According to the center, nearly a quarter of all prisoners are believed to be infected, with some suffering for months from severe symptoms including boils, skin ulcers, and infections.
The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies renewed its call on international human rights organizations and institutions to urgently intervene to protect Palestinian prisoners, alleviate their suffering, and curb ongoing Israeli violations, particularly during religious holidays and special occasions.
According to the latest official Palestinian figures, Israel currently holds more than 9,400 Palestinian prisoners in prisons and military camps, including 86 women prisoners and 3,376 administrative detainees held without formal charges or trial.
Israel is also holding 1,283 Palestinians under the classification of “unlawful combatants” within an exceptional legal framework used to institutionalize arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance against Palestinians.
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