Palestinian detainees report severe conditions, medical neglect in Israeli prison

Palestinian detainees held at an Israeli prison have reported severe weight loss, inadequate food, repeated raids and a lack of medical care, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. 

The commission reported on Sunday that testimonies gathered from detainees at Gannot Prison pointed to deteriorating living conditions, including shortages of food, clothing and basic necessities, as well as frequent searches and medical neglect.

One detainee, Osama Fathallah al-Shani, said he had lost 35 kilograms since his detention in 2024, which he attributed to inadequate food.

Al-Shani, who previously underwent surgery for a slipped disc, also reported severe back pain and said prison authorities had refused to provide him with pain medication, according to the commission.

He further described searches taking place almost daily and shortages of basic personal items, saying he had only two sets of clothes and that detainees faced particular difficulties obtaining underwear.

Another detainee, Qassam Abdul Karim Shibli, said prison units carried out raids on detainees’ rooms earlier this month.

According to his testimony, detainees were subjected to physical abuse during one such operation, with two Palestinians injured. He also reported the use of rubber bullets and gas during the raid.

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Fadi Ahmed Abu al-Rub, who has been detained since 2026, told the commission that detainees faced repeated searches, raids, insults and what he described as deliberate deprivation of food. He said he had lost 15 kilograms during his detention.

The commission also highlighted cases involving detainees with existing health problems.

Ashraf Muhammad al-Zaghari, who had previously sustained gunshot injuries to both knees, said he continued to experience pain and hearing problems but had not received adequate medical treatment, according to the commission.

Another detainee, Ahmed Mustafa Bleidi, was reported to be suffering from scabies and had not received medication or topical treatment for the condition.

The Palestinian commission said the testimonies were part of its broader documentation of conditions faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including food shortages, mistreatment and inadequate access to medical care.

There are reportedly thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Geneva Convention.

Israeli jail authorities keep Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions, lacking proper hygienic standards. Palestinian inmates have also been subjected to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

According to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center, around 60 percent of the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails suffer from chronic diseases, a number of whom died in detention or after being released due to the severity of their cases.

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