Female Palestinian abductee recounts physical assaults, humiliating strip searches in Israeli jails

Palestinian political activist and abductee Lama Khater has recounted the severe mistreatment experienced by Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, which includes beatings, strip searches, dragging, humiliation, and deprivation.

Khater, aged 50 and hailing from the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, shared her experiences with a lawyer who was recently granted permission to visit her.

She reported that Israeli occupation forces abducted her after raiding her home in al-Khalil at dawn on March 23, 2026, subsequently transferring her to the Russian Compound detention center in occupied al-Quds, which she characterized as "hell."

Khater stated that female guards took her into a bathroom, conducted a thorough strip search, and then subjected her to severe physical assault.

Following the torture and assault, she was thrown into a dark, extremely cold cell. The guards forcibly removed her hijab, verbally assaulted her, drenched her mattress with water, and confiscated her eyeglasses.

Khater reported that she and other female detainees were subsequently handcuffed with their hands behind their backs and compelled to bow their heads, kneel, and face a wall in the prison yard.

She stated that members of the Israeli Prison Service’s Nahshon unit then dragged her along the ground while she remained in restraints.

Khater indicated that conditions did not improve following her transfer to Ramla prison.

She was isolated in a cell infested with insects, which was under constant surveillance by cameras, including in the bathroom area, and was obliged to sit for prolonged periods on a metal surface.

After what she characterized as a "tragic" night in Ramla, Khater was moved to Damon prison, where she said Israeli authorities conducted a large-scale raid against the female abductees.

As per her testimony, all inmates underwent strip searches prior to being escorted into the prison yard with their hands restrained behind their backs.

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Subsequently, they were compelled to kneel and were dragged across the yard, resulting in injuries and pain that persist.

Khater reported that she faces punishment on most days without any justification and was barred from accessing the prison yard for a continuous period of 10 days.

She recounted instances of violent raids that involved the use of stun grenades and police dogs.

According to Khater, Israeli guards intentionally blindfold female detainees, restrain their hands behind their backs, and force them face down onto the ground.

She further stated that female guards then tread on their bodies and prevent them from wearing shoes.

Khater is currently detained in Room 9 of Damon prison, sharing the space with Palestinian abductees Amna and Ayat Sweilem, Umm al-Baraa Ayyash, Salam Mansour, Nevin Abdullah, Fatina Sharabati, Shahd Adi, Bushra Qawariq, and Naila Saradih.

She reported that the women's cells are extremely overcrowded, which has led to some detainees having to sleep on the floor.

The conditions for pregnant prisoners are especially dire, she noted, as guards confiscate their clothing and deny them the opportunity to shower.

In addition to experiencing beatings, humiliation, and being dragged, Khater mentioned that the prisoners often go to bed hungry due to receiving very small food portions.

The women frequently save their food until sunset to eat together, she added.

As per Palestinian statistics, over 9,300 Palestinians are presently incarcerated in Israeli prisons, which includes women and minors.

Human rights organizations have reported multiple fatalities among Palestinians in Israeli detention, attributing these deaths to torture, starvation, and inadequate medical care.

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