Israel has committed ‘terrible crimes’ against Palestinian detainees since October 7: Report

An independent and non-governmental rights organization says Israel has committed terrible crimes against Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails since October 7 last year, when it launched a genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) announced the information in a fact sheet issued on the occasion of the Palestinian prisoners’ Day on Wednesday.

It said the terrible crimes against detainees led to the martyrdom of 16 detainees due to systematic measures of torture, medical crimes, the policy of starvation and many other violations and assaults conducted against male and female detainees, minors and elderly detainees.

The PPS went on to say that October 7 constituted a phase that imposed radical transformations on the conditions of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, adding that females, minors and elderly prisoners were subjected to systematic measures of torture, medical crimes, the policy of starvation and many other violations and assaults.

Statistics reflecting the escalation imposed since October 7 show that more than 9,500 detainees are currently held in Israeli prisons, excluding detainees from Gaza, under the “forcible hide,” it added.

The prisoners include 80 women, excluding detainees from Gaza, the PPS said, adding that 200 minors under the age of 18 are detained in Megiddo, Ofer and Damon prisons, including 24 children from Gaza who are held at Damon.

The society also said more than 3,660 detainees, including 22 women and more than 40 children, are held under the so-called administrative detention policy, which allows incarcerating Palestinian inmates without trial or charge.

The PPS further noted that 56 journalist are kept in Israeli jails, including 45 who were arrested after October 7 and are still under arrest, adding that 17 members of the legislative council are also held under administrative detention, the oldest of whom are Marwan Barghouthi and Ahmad Saadat.

More than 5,168 orders of administrative detention have also been issued, it said, adding that 600 detainees are sentenced to life imprisonment.

‘No liberation without prisoners’ freedom’

On the Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, Palestinians assert that, “There is no liberation without the freedom of all our prisoners from the prisons of the Zionist entity and Palestinian Authority.”

They said the liberation movement is facing escalating Zionist repression at the hands of far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the racist Zionist entity.

Palestinians said the prisoners have demonstrated their capabilities to educate, resist, and unify workers, women, and refugees in the revolutionary struggle against Israel, noting that these abilities are the real threat to the so-called security of Israel.