Israeli Media Expose Prison Service’s Role in Spreading Scabies Among Palestinian Prisoners
"When we asked for help, they said, 'You are terrorists and deserve to die.'"
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has been following policies that left nearly 25% of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails with scabies, reports Haaretz. Human rights groups have filed a petition with Israel’s High Court, stating that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) has failed to contain the disease. Former detainees describe filthy conditions, delayed medical care, and dismissive responses to their pleas for help.
Rights groups in the occupation state, including Physicians for Human Rights and Adalah, say the IPS has ignored essential protocols to stop the outbreak. They confirm that this neglect has led to the cancellation of military court hearings and legal consultations. The IPS admitted in court that scabies outbreaks caused delays.
Petitioners presented evidence of canceled hearings and restricted legal access.
Scabies in Israeli Jails Amid Gaza Genocide
Overcrowding and poor conditions in Israeli prisons have fueled the outbreak, with conditions worsening during the Gaza genocide. Around 23,000 detainees are crammed into facilities designed for 14,500, exceeding capacity by 60%. Of these, 10,000 are Palestinian detainees labeled as “security detainees.”
Murshid, a former detainee, described a cell built for six holding ten people, with some sleeping on the floor. He said the IPS ignored requests to separate infected prisoners for two months.
“When we asked for help, they said, ‘You are terrorists and deserve to die.’ At first, they only gave us paracetamol,” Murshid told Haaretz. Proper treatment came weeks later, and a dermatologist only examined the situation four months after the outbreak began.
Medical Neglect
Rights groups say the IPS has failed to provide enough medical resources. Prisoners report being denied access to laundry, dirty clothes, and insufficient dermatological care.
The IPS claims it has set up a task force and begun distributing medication and washing clothes at high temperatures. Rights groups say these steps are too late and insufficient.
