• Israel has increased its arrest rate of Palestinians to 10,000peaking at 120 individuals daily as mass arrests have been reported, notably focusing on Gaza labourer and individuals in the West Bank.
• Palestinians face extreme deteriorating conditions and mistreatment in Israeli prisons with instances of starvation, thirst, denial of access to medication, and physical abuse.
Recent weeks have brought to light the egregious atrocities committed through Israel’s oppressive detention practices against Palestinians. Despite asserting these actions as measures of national security, Israel’s treatment of detainees, often without due process, exposes a shocking and brutal disregard for fundamental human rights.
A significant number of Palestinians, including women and children, find themselves trapped in the clutches of Israel’s notorious administrative detention—a mockery of justice. This process allows for an initial six-month imprisonment, extendable indefinitely without formal charges or trial. Terrifyingly, nearly 80% of the 300 Palestinians identified for potential release during the humanitarian pause were not formally charged, underscoring the widespread abuse of administrative detention as a tool of oppression. To make matters worse, as Palestinian detainees were released last week, Israel instituted a prohibition on any expressions of celebration by their relatives. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asserted that “expressions of joy” were deemed equivalent to supporting terrorism.
The majority of Palestinians, even innocent children, are forced into a Kafkaesque nightmare of military courts where they are systematically denied defence lawyers and basic due process. This glaring injustice reinforces a two-tier justice system, inherently discriminatory against Palestinians, further deepening the chasm between the oppressor and the oppressed.
In the aftermath of Israel’s intensified military operations, the plight of Palestinian prisoners has taken a dire turn, sparking widespread concerns about the alarming increase in arrests. The recent onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip has led to a doubling of the number of Palestinians in Israeli custody, reaching over 10,000 individuals. This surge, fueled by a relentless bombing campaign, demands urgent attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the occupied territories.
Since October 7, Israel’s security forces have conducted mass arrests, targeting various segments of the Palestinian population. Palestinian officials report more than 4,000 laborers from Gaza and over 1,000 individuals in the occupied West Bank have been detained during overnight army raids. The arrest rate has skyrocketed, reaching up to 120 people daily, a stark contrast to the 15-20 daily arrests during periods of relative calm under the 56-year military occupation.
The severity of mistreatment and the deplorable conditions faced by detainees have raised alarming concerns. Reports from Palestinian lawyers and officials highlight instances of starvation, thirst, denial of access to medication, and the cutting off of water and electricity in prisons. Physical attacks and degrading treatment, including the breaking of limbs and humiliating group searches, have become distressingly common. In addition, Israeli authorities have implemented measures further restricting basic rights within prisons in its high courts. The Israeli parliament ratified a law reducing the minimum living space allotted to each prisoner, furthering the hardship of those already in dire conditions.
Civil rights groups, including Addameer, have called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to fulfill its responsibilities as the authorized international organization monitoring the situation of Palestinian detainees. The urgency of the situation demands immediate international attention and intervention to address the growing crisis and protect the rights of those detained.
Israel is utilizing various legal pretexts to withhold detainees from different areas. Palestinians from Gaza are being held under the “Unlawful Combatants Law,” allowing indefinite detention without effective judicial review. The law’s recent amendments, including easier arrests on suspicion, have heightened concerns about its impact on Palestinian detainees. In the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the use of administrative detention, involving “secret evidence,” raises additional human rights concerns.
The surge in arrests and the deteriorating conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners underscore the urgent need for international scrutiny and condemnation. The international community must address Israel’s actions, safeguard the rights of detainees, and work towards a just and lasting resolution. The reprehensible treatment of Palestinian prisoners stands as an indelible stain on the pages of human rights violations, demanding not just scrutiny but a resolute global condemnation and a reckoning for the Israeli government’s abhorrent actions.
