PFLP Secretary-General subjected to harsh treatment in Megiddo prison
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Ahmad Saadat is held in harsh isolation in Megiddo Prison, facing deteriorating health and repeated abuse, as part of a systematic campaign by Israeli authorities targeting Palestinian prisoners.
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Secretary General of the PFLP Ahmad Saadat
Ahmad Saadat, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, is reportedly suffering under extremely harsh detention conditions in Megiddo Prison. His daughter, Samoud Saadat, stated that her father has been placed in prolonged isolation under inhumane conditions that have worsened since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza. During her last visit two weeks ago, she noted a severe drop in his weight due to inadequate food and total isolation inside a small cell.
According to Samoud, Ahmad Saadat remains isolated 24 hours a day and is subjected to repeated assaults by special units, extensive searches, threats, and ongoing verbal and physical abuse by jailers. She also highlighted deliberate restrictions placed on lawyer visits, describing the situation as part of a systematic campaign targeting her father and his symbolic status.
Abuse and violations inside Megiddo prison
Reports from the Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs describe systematic violations inside Megiddo Prison. These include starvation policies, the spread of skin diseases such as scabies, physical assaults, denial of medical treatment, and restrictions on family visits.
Child detainees in the facility are subjected to degrading and abusive treatment, according to the Commission. During visits, they are brought in with hands and feet shackled, eyes blindfolded, and heads covered with black bags. Even while speaking with their families through the phone, their hands remain tied, preventing them from holding the receiver properly. Legal teams have repeatedly demanded that the shackles be removed during visits, but prison authorities have refused.
Administrative detainee Ahmad Tazzaz’a martyred in detention
On August 3, 2025, 20-year-old administrative detainee Ahmad Sa'id Salih Tazzaz'a from Jenin was declared martyred inside Megiddo Prison. He had been detained since May 6, 2025.
With Tazzaz'a's death, the number of Palestinian prisoners martyred since the beginning of the ongoing genocide stands at 76, according to documented reports. These figures highlight a brutal escalation in prisoner deaths, with a total of 313 prisoners martyred since 1967. The spread of infectious diseases like scabies has become a method of slow execution, especially in Megiddo Prison.
Ben-Gvir's provocations and psychological warfare
This follows Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's public confrontation of prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti in his cell a few days ago. In a video released on August 15, 2025, Ben-Gvir was seen threatening Barghouti directly, stating: "Anyone who harms the people of Israel... we will eliminate them." Barghouti appeared visibly weakened, pale, and emaciated. His family was shocked by his condition, with his wife describing him as "so thin" and almost unrecognizable.
علّقت مصلحة السجون الإسرائيلية صوراً للدمار الواسع الذي يشهده قطاع #غزة أمام الأسرى، ضمن أدوات الحرب النفسية التي يشنّها الاحتلال عليهم.
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 20, 2025
وظهر وزير "الأمن القومي" الإسرائيلي إيتمار بن غفير في فيديو يقول فيه: "انظر ما هذا. هذا ما يرونه في الصباح عندما يخرجون إلى ساعة الباحة. هذا… pic.twitter.com/Xb3Blxjufk
Days later, on August 20, Ben-Gvir ordered the installation of large black-and-white images depicting the destruction of Gaza across prison walls. During a visit to one of the facilities, he pointed at the images and declared: "This is what they should see every morning on their way to the prison yard... This is how it’s supposed to look."
