The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has sounded the alarm on a concerning surge in skin diseases among detainees within Israeli prisons, detention centers, and interrogation facilities. Particularly rampant is the highly contagious scabies disease, with additional cases of unidentified contagious skin ailments reported among the detained population.
Recent visits by legal representatives and testimonies from recently released detainees have uncovered dozens of cases, notably concentrated in facilities such as the Negev and Megiddo prisons, as well as in Ofer and Ramon prisons.
This distressing situation is compounded by inadequate access to basic necessities like cleaning materials, limited water availability, and restricted shower facilities. Adding to the strain, since the onset of the aggression in Gaza, the Israeli Prison Authority has confiscated all belongings of detainees, including their clothing. As a result, detainees now rely on a single spare change of clothes, exacerbating the already dire conditions.
Overcrowding within the prisons has reached alarming levels due to escalating daily abductions, further compromising hygiene and exacerbating the spread of diseases. Moreover, the lack of proper ventilation and prolonged isolation in cells devoid of sunlight contribute significantly to the deteriorating health conditions among the detainees.
The PPS has underscored that the prison administration persists in perpetrating systematic medical neglect by deliberately withholding treatment from detainees, despite their worsening health conditions. Furthermore, intentional transfers of infected individuals between sections and prisons by Israeli authorities have led to a surge in infections, including among children held in Megiddo Prison.
Beyond physical ailments, detainees endure various forms of torture, abuse, deprivation, and starvation, as every aspect of their detention life is weaponized to inflict further suffering. Exploiting detainees’ medical needs, the Israeli authorities deny them their right to proper care.
The situation has escalated since October 7, 2023, with detainees facing even more severe medical neglect, resulting in preventable deaths. The PPS warns that if retaliatory measures and prolonged imprisonment persist, the health conditions of sick detainees will further deteriorate.
Identifying health issues among detainees has become increasingly challenging for specialized institutions, including human rights groups, especially amidst ongoing daily arrest campaigns targeting the sick, wounded, and elderly.
The PPS has condemned these abusive policies as part of a longstanding and systematic pattern within the Israeli prison system, which has intensified over time, rendering the extent of brutality unpredictable.
Expressing deep concern, the PPS has called attention to the escalating number of detainees subjected to systematic harm and suffering, leading to chronic diseases that are challenging to treat.
The plight of released detainees, many of whom suffer from physical and psychological health issues, exemplifies the dire consequences of prolonged medical neglect. Tragically, individuals like Farouq Al-Khatib have succumbed to such neglect while in detention.
The PPS has reiterated its call on international human rights institutions, particularly the United Nations, to intervene and halt Israeli crimes and violations against Palestinian detainees. They urge these institutions to move beyond passive monitoring and documentation, advocating for an active stance against the occupation’s brutality.
It is crucial to note that prisons like Negev and Megiddo, among the largest, house thousands of detainees. Since the onset of the ongoing conflict on October 7, 2023, the detainee population has doubled, exceeding 9,300 as of May 2024. However, this figure excludes detainees from Gaza, estimated to number in the thousands.
