Israel’s jails condition in 2019: 5500 arrests and increased use of torture

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- A joint report by human rights and prisoners’ NGOs stated that the occupation state has increased its arbitrary arrests against children and women and increased torture as well throughout 2019.

The annual report by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer), and the Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs stated that the occupation state has arrested over 5500 Palestinians in 2019, including at least 889 children and 128 women.

It also noted that the total number of prisoners in Israeli jails has reached nearly 5000, including 40 women, 200 children, and 450 administrative detainees.

Martyrs in Israeli jails

In 2019, five Palestinian prisoners were killed in the Israeli jails. The martyrs are Faris Baroud, Omar Awni Younes, Nassar Taqatqa, Bassam Sayeh, and Sami Abu Diyak. Moreover, the Israelis continue to hold the bodies of four martyrs, who died under torture in Israeli jails. This has increased the total number of martyrs in Israeli jails to 222 since 1967.

The Israeli raids into prisoners’ cells never stopped this year. The most violent raids were reported in the jails of Ofer, Negev, and Rimon.

The condition of ill prisoners

Ill prisoners have reportedly reached over 700, including at least ten prisoners who suffer from cancer. The Israelis continued to deny them medical treatment and use their pains to blackmail and torture them.

The report also stated that the occupation state continued to practice the policy of collective punishment against families of Palestinian prisoners through arrests, interrogations, intimidation, house raids, and house demolition.

It also noted that the Israeli courts have been used as a tool to validate the Israeli violations against prisoners, including torture.

Hunger strikes

2019 has seen hunger strikes by more than 50 prisoners, most of them were against administrative detention.

In several cases, prisoners organized mass hunger strikes to protest against the Israeli repression, which was described as the worst and most violent this year.

The report called on local and international organizations to take action in order to protect Palestinian prisoners and their rights.