DaysofPal – Israeli data has revealed a dramatic increase in the number of Palestinian prisoners, including women and minors, placed in solitary confinement inside Israeli prisons since 2023.
The number of Palestinian minors placed in solitary confinement increased dramatically from one in 2022 to fifty in 2023 and then to 290 in 2024, according to data released by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and obtained from the Israeli Prison Service via a freedom of information request.
The data also showed that the number of adult Palestinian prisoners held in solitary confinement nearly tripled in 2024 compared with the previous year, reaching 4,493 detainees. The number of female prisoners placed in isolation also increased significantly, rising from 2 in 2022 to 25 in 2024.
The Israeli Prison Service classifies solitary confinement into two categories: punitive isolation, which officially lasts up to 14 days, and deterrent isolation, which can continue for six months and is subject to renewal. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, most documented cases fall under punitive isolation, though the measure is reportedly being implemented collectively against prisoners.
Human rights advocates describe solitary confinement as a form of harsh punishment that can amount to torture, warning of its severe psychological and physical effects on detainees.
Research and studies indicate that prolonged isolation may lead to serious psychological disorders, including increased suicidal thoughts, identity disturbances, memory problems, hallucinations, and extreme anxiety. Prisoners may also suffer physical illnesses linked to confinement in narrow, sealed cells containing toilets and lacking adequate living conditions.
The escalation in the use of solitary confinement comes alongside an unprecedented tightening of prison conditions for Palestinian prisoners since 7 October 2023. Testimonies have pointed to food shortages, violent assaults by prison guards, bans on books and personal belongings, and the spread of skin diseases inside prisons.
Anag Ben Dror, from the prisoners’ department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel, said solitary confinement had shifted from an exceptional measure to a routine tool now used against minors and women as well. She warned that the sharp rise in its use raises serious concerns over human rights violations and the psychological and physical well-being of prisoners.
In response to these findings, the Israeli Prison Service claimed it operates in accordance with policies aimed at maintaining order and discipline inside prisons, asserting that any violations of prison regulations are met with strict penalties and that all measures are carried out in accordance with the law.
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