'Israel' forces female detainees to remove hijabs amid rising tensions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
6 Nov 2024 15:36
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Palestinian factions have strongly condemned the Israeli move to force female detainees to remove their hijabs, calling it a "heinous crime" that violates religious, legal, and humanitarian principles.

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Palestinian women being assaulted by the Israeli occupation forces. (Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail; Al Mayadeen English)

The Israeli occupation's recent decision to confiscate traditional clothing like jilbabs, hijabs, and niqabs from Palestinian female detainees in Damon Prison, forcing them to wear gray sportswear and banning head coverings, represents a serious escalation in its systematic abuse and humiliation of detainees.

Simultaneously, Palestinian factions condemned these actions as "heinous crimes" and an affront to all religious, legal, and humanitarian values, stressing that such acts cannot go unanswered. They reaffirmed that the Palestinian people possess both the will and determination to confront "Israel" and resist its aggressive practices against detainees, especially women and children.

The factions further highlighted the dire conditions faced by Palestinian detainees, citing daily arbitrary searches, and the deprivation of necessities such as food, medicine, clothing, and blankets. These actions, they argued, amount to deliberate psychological and physical harm, as evidenced by ongoing reports and statistics.

On its part, Hamas has called on all local and international human rights and legal organizations, particularly those focused on women's rights, to pressure the Israeli government to end its abusive practices. The Resistance movement also urged national movements, popular organizations, the Palestinian public, and families of detainees to intensify their support efforts and solidarity campaigns until the detainees achieve full freedom.

A desperate attempt to break Palestinian women’s spirit

The Islamic Jihad Movement also condemned the blatant violations of the Israeli prison administration, labeling the forced dress code imposed on Palestinian female detainees as part of a psychological war and renewed assault on their dignity.

The movement asserted that this action represents a desperate attempt to break the will of Palestinian women, framing it as part of the broader ongoing war on the Palestinian people.

These repressive measures, they added, are part of a broader pattern of brutal treatment, including denial of family visits, solitary confinement, and psychological and physical torture, all designed to undermine the human rights of detainees.

The movement called for escalating Resistance against the occupation, emphasizing that the ultimate goal remains the full liberation of all Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.

16 Palestinians detained in West Bank, total hits 11,500

Israeli occupation forces have detained at least 16 Palestinians in the West Bank since last Saturday, including a child and multiple former detainees, as reported by prisoner advocacy organizations.

In a joint statement, the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society indicated in a statement on Sunday that these detentions occurred in several provinces, including Ramallah, Nablus, Tubas, Salfit, and al-Khalil.

Additionally, Israeli occupation forces carried out a large-scale incursion into the al-Fawwar camp, south of al-Khalil, yesterday. During the operation, they conducted field interrogations of dozens of residents, who were subsequently released, and damaged and vandalized homes in the area.

These detentions, as noted in the statement and reported by WAFA News Agency, have involved extensive raids and violent treatment of detainees, which include severe beatings and threats directed at both the detained individuals and their families, as well as property destruction in their homes.

Furthermore, reports suggest that the Israeli occupation continues to detain Palestinians in Gaza, especially in the northern areas, including women, children, and medical staff.

The statement noted that since the outset of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in October 2023, a total of 11,500 Palestinians have been detained by the occupation authorities in the West Bank, including occupied al-Quds.

Moreover, the ongoing detention campaigns in the West Bank are marked by unprecedented levels of mistreatment and torture of detainees and their families, impacting not only the youth but also the sick, injured, and elderly.

95 female detainees endure harsh conditions in Israeli prisons

Moreover, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs announced on Sunday that currently, 95 female Palestinian detainees are in Israeli prisons.

In its statement, the Commission noted that the conditions faced by these detainees have become increasingly severe, particularly since the start of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

It added that Israeli prison authorities have enacted additional punitive measures against the female detainees, depriving them of essential human needs, such as clothing, food, and medical care.

The detainees are also completely isolated from the outside world and endure severe treatment, which includes strip searches, physical beatings, and repression, as outlined in the statement.