Israeli authorities closed Ramon prison over coronavirus infections
Ramallah (QNN)- Israeli prison authorities have completely closed Ramon prison following several coronavirus infections among the detainees.
Palestinian Prisoner Society said the closure was “a serious indication of a possible wide outbreak of the pandemic among the detainees”.
It said Israeli prison authorities will conduct coronavirus tests on prisoners, but without specifying whether Palestinian prisoners tested positive for the virus.
However, there was no comment from Israeli prison authorities.
On Saturday, Israel’s Public Security Minister Amir Ohana has instructed that prisoners should not receive COVID-19 vaccines without his permission before all Israel Prison Service (IPS) staff have been inoculated.
Ohana did not specify whether he was referring to all prisoners or to Palestinian prisoners.
However, Qadri Abu Baker, Director of the Palestinian Authority Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners, said that Israel will start giving the vaccine to Palestinian security prisoners in the next few days.
Since April, around 140 Palestinian detainees were infected with COVID-19. The detainees don’t get the proper health treatment in light of the spread of the Corona pandemic in the prisons.
Israeli authorities commit flagrant violations against the Palestinian prisoners, including depriving them of the right to healthcare, protection from infectious diseases and non-discrimination.
Israeli occupation detains nearly 5,400 Palestinians, including 41 women, 170 children and 370 administrative detainees who it holds without charge or trial.
