The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs revealed on Tuesday a sharp escalation in the harsh and degrading conditions facing prisoners held in Ofer prison, particularly since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

According to the Commission, a lawyer who visited detainees Hamza Hamed and Ammar Mohammad found that they were being subjected to serious violations, including persistent humiliation and deliberate starvation.

Hamza Jihad Abdul Aziz Hamed, a 22-year-old from Beit Dajan in the Nablus governorate, who was arrested in August last year, described the conditions inside Ofer as appalling. He noted that prisoners’ recreation time had been reduced to just 30 minutes daily, which is now mainly used for showering.

Rampant abuse and neglect

Hamed stated that “searches are constant, and prison guards treat detainees with unprecedented humiliation,” forcing them to kneel with their heads down during headcounts and inspections. Any prisoner who objects or refuses is punished along with his entire cell.

The prison administration, he added, continues to enforce a policy of starvation. The quality of food is described as “extremely poor,” leading to significant weight loss among all inmates.

According to the testimony, authorities have also confiscated nearly all personal belongings. Detainees are left only with the clothes on their backs, with no access to hot water or hygiene products in their cells.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old administrative detainee Ammar Sobhi Abdel Karim Mohammed, from the town of Abwein in the Ramallah governorate, also shared with the Commission’s lawyer the severe psychological and physical hardships faced by child detainees in Ofer. He said repeated insults and verbal abuse, alongside a total ban on family visits and outside communication under the pretext of a “state of emergency”, have seriously worsened the mental health of minors held in the facility.

Ammar added that medical care is nearly nonexistent, noting that only painkillers are provided, and medical tests are conducted “only in very critical cases.”

'Israel legalizes torture, killing in prison'

In response, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the continued torture and abuse of Palestinian detainees inside Israeli prisons. The group cited the disturbing testimonies from Ofer prison as further evidence of the Israeli occupation’s escalating crimes.

“These brutal practices are part of the wider genocidal campaign waged by the occupation against our people and land,” Hamas stated. The movement warned of the catastrophic conditions inside detention centers, particularly with the increasing use of medical neglect, systematic torture, and the denial of detainees’ most basic human needs.

It stressed that “such blatant violations of international law demand urgent and serious action by all human rights and humanitarian organizations,” calling for accountability for what it described as the fascist Israeli regime responsible for institutionalizing torture and killing.

Hamas also urged Palestinians in the West Bank and the occupied territories to escalate support activities for the prisoners and intensify resistance in all forms to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes.

What is Ofer prison?

Ofer prison is one of the largest Israeli detention centers in the occupied West Bank. It is frequently used to hold Palestinian administrative detainees, minors, and those involved in political or grassroots activities.

Human rights organizations have long linked Ofer with severe abuses, including torture, poor treatment, overcrowding, and the targeted detention of children. Many humanitarian reports consider it one of the most dangerous detention sites under the Israeli occupation due to ongoing violations.

Record number of Palestinians detained

During West Bank operations in April, hundreds of Palestinians were arrested, weapons were seized, and hundreds of thousands of shekels were confiscated from Palestinian homes.

Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing an Israeli military spokesperson, that 290 Palestinians were arrested, 60 weapons were seized, and hundreds of thousands of shekels were confiscated during operations in the West Bank in April.

Institutions concerned with prisoners' affairs reported a significant increase in the pace of arrests carried out by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, with nearly 800 detention cases recorded in March alone, including women and children.

As part of the operation, the United Nations reports that approximately 40,000 residents have been displaced since January 21.  When the Israeli Occupation Forces initiated a military operation in the northern occupied West Bank, which they claim targets Palestinian Resistance groups.

This ongoing Israeli operation, named "Iron Wall," has focused mainly on three refugee camps: Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams. In February, Security Minister Israel Katz stated the operation would continue for several months.