Ramallah - Since the beginning of the occupation's aggression against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank on October 7th, Israeli forces have killed more than 13,000 Palestinians in Gaza and over 225 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, most of whom were women and children. The occupation authorities have carried out massive arrest campaigns that have affected most cities, villages, and refugee camps in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian prisoners’ organization have documented around 3,000 cases of arrest in the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 7th. The total number of prisoners inside occupation prisons has exceeded 7,000, according to initial statistics. Some have been released while the majority remains in custody, with most detainees being subjected to arbitrary administrative detention. The arrest campaigns have targeted a large number of released prisoners and activists, in addition to dozens of children, women, and journalists.
Human rights organizations inside the occupied Palestinian territories 1948 have recorded dozens of cases of arrests of students and activists for their social media posts. Additionally, there have been dozens of cases of arrests in Gaza without details or numbers available about these detentions.
Torture and beating of detainees during arrest operations...
Within the continuous arrest campaigns in various Palestinian areas, there has been a noticeable and clear employment of tactics by the occupation involving torture through beatings, deliberate humiliation, intimidation, as well as the destruction of private and public properties during arrest operations. Large numbers of occupation forces have been raiding Palestinian cities and villages since October 7th, forcefully entering homes in a brutal manner. Often, doors are blown up, children are terrorized, and police dogs are used. Frequently, field interrogations are conducted inside homes, involving insults, shouting, and beatings in front of all family members.
One university student, (A.H), is among dozens of detainees subjected to brutal beatings and torture during the arrest process. Special forces stormed his house in the town of Kharbatha Al Misbah west of Ramallah. The soldiers started kicking and violently hitting him in front of his family. They also proceeded to assault his brothers in front of him before forcefully binding and dragging him to the military jeep. They continued beating him while transporting him in the military vehicle. They then filmed him while beating and humiliating him, sharing the clips on "TikTok". Upon arrival at the Ofer military camp, the soldiers there also assaulted him, causing him severe pain across his body. Subsequently, A.H was transferred to the “Atsion” detention center, where soldiers subjected him to further harsh treatment, throwing him on the ground for over four hours. What happened to A.H reflects the recent policy of the occupation towards detainees, showing a complete disregard for any human standards.
Widespread arrest campaigns and military encirclement around Palestinian villages...
(Al-Mughayyir village as an example)
The Israeli forces deliberately conduct massive arrest campaigns, often lasting for extended periods, as a form of collective punishment specifically in areas near the settlements. The occupation army invades the area, imposes a complete military cordon, and begins searching and raiding houses, interrogating residents, as was the case in Al-Mughayyir village north of Ramallah. The village faced a massive incursion by the occupation forces when approximately 50 military vehicles and over 500 soldiers stormed the village on the morning of Thursday, 16/11/2023. They began conducting wide-scale raids, house invasions, and imposed a curfew. Around 50 cases of detentions were recorded at that time among the residents, including men, women, and children. Most of them were released, while two Palestinians were arrested.
The detention conditions are the worst within the occupation's prisons in many years...
(Six martyred prisoners in less than a month...)
Since the extreme right-wing government took power in the occupation state, the occupation authorities have gradually taken punitive measures on male and female prisoners inside the prisons through recent decisions related to the living conditions in prisons. Despite all the decisions and escalations, the peak of these restrictions reached its highest point with the beginning of the occupation's aggression on October 7th. The occupation authorities began suppressing prisoners in a brutal and intensive manner, resulting in dozens of injuries among the prisoners. Various forms of torture have been employed since that date, including dehydration, starvation, confiscation of basic life necessities, and keeping the bare minimum, as well as cramming dozens of detainees into small rooms, withdrawing blankets and bedding despite the onset of winter and severe cold inside the prisons.
The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) isolated a number of prisoners after suppressing and torturing them, preventing them from receiving visits and communicating with the outside world amid genuine concerns about their fate. Since the start of the occupation's aggression against the prisoners, six prisoners have been martyred inside the occupation's prisons in less than a month. The most recent martyr was Tha'er Abu Asab from the city of Qalqilya. The (IPS) deliberately refrained from disclosing any details indicating the circumstances of their martyrdom. To this day, the (IPS) conceals the name of one of the martyred detainees, only stating that the detainee is from the Gaza Strip.
The (IPS) continues to employ various methods of torture and revokes all the achievements made by the prisoners over decades of collective struggles. These achievements represent the minimum elements of human life and the most basic rights of prisoners guaranteed internationally, disregarding all agreements and laws that ensure the rights of prisoners.
Deliberate medical negligence and revenge against sick prisoners...
Dozens of prisoners inside occupation prisons suffer from varying diseases and health issues amidst deliberate medical neglect by the (IPS). These sick prisoners were denied treatment in the first week, and until today, the occupation continues to prevent sick prisoners from going to external clinics. Additionally, around 14 prisoners receiving treatment under extremely difficult conditions exist within the 'Ramleh prison clinic.' The (IPS) has reduced their food quantities and provided poor quality meals that do not suit their health conditions. They are also continuously barred from communicating with the outside world. Furthermore, there are ongoing raids within the prisons, confiscation of some electrical appliances, closure of the canteen, reduction of recreational time to 45 minutes per day, and isolation from other prisoners, preventing them from receiving assistance.
The prisoner (M.S), who suffers from a blood disease and asthma, was transferred to meet with an interrogator and was assaulted by being beaten, causing him a wound on his head and bruises near his eye. It's worth mentioning that he lost 10 kilograms in weight.
Violations against female prisoners in Damon Prison...
(Approximately 84 female prisoners in Damon Prison...)
Since October 7th and the start of the aggression, more than 101 women have been arrested as part of the ongoing arrest campaigns in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the occupied territories 1948. Some have been released, while around 84 female prisoners remained detained as of the date of this report. It's worth mentioning that the number of female prisoners until the beginning of October was 31.
The occupation detains female prisoners in extremely difficult conditions in both Damon and Hasharon prisons in the occupied territories. Special units affiliated with the (IPS) have repeatedly raided the women's section in Damon Prison since the beginning of the events, assaulting them and isolating the prisoners' representative, Marah Bakir. One of the detainees who was arrested and later released said, "The conditions inside the prisons are tough, and the (IPS) deliberately provides very small and poor quantities of food. Often, the prisoners return the meals due to insufficient and inappropriate cooking. Additionally, there are frequent searches, and at times they have been assaulted. The (IPS) also confiscated all electrical appliances, and there is a severe shortage of blankets, especially with the onset of winter. There is significant overcrowding inside the prison.
Arbitrary administrative detention... a policy of repression and control practiced against Palestinians
(More than 2500 administrative detainees in occupation prisons)
Amid the beginning of arrest campaigns and repeated raids on Palestinian villages, cities, and camps, and the increase in the number of detainees within occupation prisons, the numbers of administrative detainees began to sharply rise. Arbitrary administrative detention targeted dozens of activists, journalists, and freed prisoners amid the ongoing aggression against Palestinians. The number of administrative detainees reached approximately 2500, most of whom were issued or had their administrative detention orders renewed after October 7th. This significant increase in administrative detention figures highlights the occupation authorities' use of arbitrary administrative detention as a means of repression and control in the occupied Palestinian territories. It serves as a policy among collective punishment.
Palestinian children are also enduring arbitrary detention, as the number of children under administrative detention reached around 26, indicating the occupation's use of administrative detention against all segments and groups of Palestinians without any fair standards.
The hostage-taking to pressure their relatives into surrendering themselves...
Since the beginning of the occupation's wide-scale aggression after October 7th, a policy of detaining some family members to pressure their sons and husbands to surrender themselves to the occupation army has emerged. This is considered part of the collective punishment policy against Palestinians and constitutes a war crime under the basic principles of the Rome Statute. Several cases have been documented of women and children being detained and arrested to pressure their relatives. One of the documented cases involved a Palestinian (M.K) from the town of Ni'lin. Large forces stormed his house on October 13th, 2023, and the occupation soldiers began questioning family members about (A.K), who was not present at the house at that moment. They filmed the mother of (A.K) and sent the video via WhatsApp to pressure him. The soldiers poured water on one of the family's children, who was not more than four years old and was sleeping. Later, the soldiers took him and his nephew in a military vehicle to a camp where they were interrogated for two hours and threatened that if (A.K) did not surrender himself to the occupation army, the entire family would be arrested. He was released later after his nephew surrendered himself hours after the arrest of his family members.
Hundreds of Gaza workers are subjected to various forms of torture and abuse by the occupation army...
Following the occupation forces aggression on the Gaza Strip, 4,000 workers have been arrested who were working inside the occupied Palestinian territories 1948 and held work permits. They were detained in a camp near Beer AlSabe’ called 'Sdeh Teiman,' in addition to another camp named 'Anatot' in the West Bank. The International Committee of the Red Cross was not allowed to visit them, and they were not presented to courts. Later on, the occupation forces released over 3,000 workers from Gaza and deported them to Gaza through Karm Abu Salem crossing. However, the fate of around 700 workers remains unknown until this moment, with no details available about them. Many of the released workers recounted harsh conditions and inhumane treatment by the occupation army during their detention, including humiliation and physical assault. The occupation had announced the deaths of two workers from Gaza as a result of beatings and the conditions of their detention.
In this context, the occupation authorities have made several amendments to laws specifically concerning detainees from the Gaza Strip. The occupation government issued temporary orders allowing the detention of what they call 'illegal residents' without presenting them to courts until their deportation to Gaza, aiming to cover up their detention without clear legal procedures. Additionally, on October 7, 2023, the occupation authorities issued new orders permitting detention for a period of 45 days, renewable for an additional 45 days. The occupation government also made an amendment to the 'Detention Law of 1996' allowing the prevention of the detainee from meeting their lawyer for up to 90 days. All of this occurs in the context of isolating detainees from the outside world entirely, leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment and torture, as a form of retaliation, falling under the category of enforced disappearance crime.