Prisoners Affairs Authority: IOF empty Ofer Prison's Block 24

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Aug 2024 13:09

Palestinian prisoners are suffering from lethal policies through forced conditions in Israeli occupation prisons, including beatings and mistreatment, and being deprived of water, food, and electricity.

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An image from Sde Teiman shows Palestinian detainees being held in cages and under inhumane conditions. (Social media)

The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission has revealed the horrific conditions faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons following visits by lawyers to several detainees in Ofer Prison.

The Commission confirmed that Block 24 in Ofer Prison has been completely evacuated, and a large number of administrative detainees have been transferred to other prisons, saying that transfer process is ongoing.

The detainees reported being subjected to beatings and mistreatment multiple times, even during their visits with their lawyers. Additionally, all detainees are suffering significant weight loss due to a policy of starvation.

⭕ The Captives and Freed Captives Affairs Authority reports that the zionist terrorists have emptied Section 24 in Ofer Prison, forcibly transferring a large number of captives held under the guise of administrative detention to other prisons, with the transfers still ongoing(1/ pic.twitter.com/KHGb2F0HhU
— Palestine Captives 𓂆 (@Palestinecapti1) August 18, 2024

Detainee Mahmoud al-Hajj: Physical abuse in Israeli occupation prisons

In a separate statement, the Commission reported that Mahmoud Al-Hajj, a 22-year-old detainee, was brutally beaten by guards and interrogators at the Maskobiya interrogation center with rods on his back. After the assault, al-Hajj was transferred to the prison clinic and then to a detention room where he was shackled to a bed and deprived of food, water, and bathroom access for 40 hours.

The Commission further warned of the potential for further crimes against Al-Hajj and has called on human rights organizations to exert all possible pressure to secure his release from Maskobiya and prevent further abuse.

A recent investigation by The Washington Post exposed the brutal conditions of “Israel’s” prison system, where #Palestinian detainees endure severe torture and degrading treatment.

Former detainees described isolation rooms dubbed “Tora Bora” and revealed shocking instances of… pic.twitter.com/AjioBIjyvU
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 9, 2024

Detainees in danger of growing risks

The Commission's lawyer explained that conditions in Israeli occupation prisons remain severe and complex. Detainees are facing acute shortages of both food and water. Israeli authorities have turned drinking water into a punitive measure, providing it for only 45 minutes a day and deliberately contaminating it with dirt and high levels of chlorine.

Additionally, Israeli authorities have cut off electricity to the detainees, leaving them in the dark from 10 PM to 12:00 PM the next day. Conditions have worsened since October 7.

The Commission's lawyers visited four detainees in Ofer Prison and reported their testimonies. The detainees included Khaleel Qandeel (28), Fawzi Salama (24), Fadi Shahada (21), and Bahaa’ Eddin Arouj (17), who was prevented from taking his high school exams by Israeli occupation authorities.

On August 4, the Commission reported painful testimonies from Palestinian detainees from Gaza held in Ofer Prison. These detainees described severe abuse, including being stripped, bound, blindfolded, beaten, and tortured. They likened their ordeal to being preyed upon by "savage beasts" that take pleasure in their suffering, starvation, thirst, and illness, and expressed disbelief that they are still alive.

Last month, the Authority’s lawyer revealed that the cells in Ofer Prison are small, unventilated rooms with iron beds but no mattresses, pillows, or blankets. About 25 detainees are housed in each cell, with some sleeping on the iron beds and others on the floor. Detainees receive only 100 grams of bread or tomatoes and a bag of yogurt per meal, eating while their hands are shackled.

Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza on October 7, Israel has escalated violations against Palestinian detainees in its prisons to unprecedented levels. Human rights reports and various testimonies have highlighted the dire conditions faced by detainees, especially those from Gaza.