DaysofPal- Palestinian detainees are facing widespread abuse, medical neglect, and dire living conditions inside Israeli prisons, according to new testimonies collected by the Palestinian Prisoners Society and released this week.
Based on visits to several facilities, including Nafha, Megiddo, Ramla, Ofer, Shata, Gilboa, and Damon prisons, in the first half of September, the report documents systematic mistreatment of male, female, and child prisoners.
The findings describe an alarming spread of skin diseases, violent repression, and deliberate deprivation of basic needs.
One of the most pressing concerns highlighted is the outbreak of scabies in Nafha and Ofer prisons, where dozens of detainees remain untreated.
In Nafha alone, more than 20 prisoners were reportedly infected, with many relapsing after inadequate care.
Prisoners also reported a severe shortage of clothing; some had not changed clothes for six months, as well as the absence of hygiene products, hair clippers, and nail scissors.
Testimonies detail brutal repression tactics, including the use of electric stun devices, rubber bullets, and attack dogs during frequent raids.
On September 10, a large-scale raid by special units in Nafha prison left at least one detainee injured after sound grenades and rubber bullets were used.
Conditions in Ofer prison remain equally dire, where 210 child detainees are held. Many of them, according to testimonies, suffer from scabies but are denied medical care.
In Damon prison, female prisoners described high humidity, insect infestations, food shortages, and humiliating strip searches.
Some reported being assaulted during routine inspections and deprived of women’s health supplies despite urgent medical needs.
One detainee, identified as A.T., said: “I suffer from severe itching and cannot sleep. When I request medical care, I am insulted and mocked. They deliberately placed me in a cell with infected prisoners, and I now have joint pain as well. Despite repeated pleas, I receive no treatment.”
Another, identified as M.Y., described the food provided as inedible: “The portions are too small, often with bird droppings or shoe marks on vegetables. Once, we found soap residue in the tahini. Yet we are forced to eat it because there is no alternative.”
According to the Prisoners Society, medical neglect is widespread, particularly in Megiddo prison, where detainees with serious injuries or chronic conditions are left untreated.
At Ramla prison clinic, 10 of 22 chronically ill detainees were recently isolated due to a scabies outbreak.
The organization warned that such conditions amount to systematic abuse and form part of broader policies of collective punishment.
It urged the international community to intervene, stressing that the situation in Israeli prisons has worsened dramatically since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
As of early September 2025, more than 11,100 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons, the highest figure since the Second Intifada in 2000. This number does not include those detained in military camps, according to rights groups.
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