RAMALLAH, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authorities continue to deprive 14 Palestinian mothers of their freedom and the ability to embrace their children. They are among 25 Palestinian female prisoners who are suffering from extremely difficult and dire conditions in Israeli prisons.
The Palestinian Prisoner Society, the Prisoner Commission, and the Addameer Foundation said in a joint statement on Thursday, coinciding with Mother’s Day, that recent months have been among the bloodiest and most brutal for Palestinian women.
The three organizations clarified that violations have systematically escalated, especially with the ongoing brutal aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people in all areas of their presence on the land of Palestine.
The statement added that since the first days of the genocide, the occupation authorities have launched widespread arrest campaigns, affecting tens of thousands of citizens, including women and mothers.
According to the statement, the highest rate of arrests of women was recorded after the Israeli war of genocide started on October 7, 2023, during which the occupation authorities arrested around 500 Palestinian women, including mothers and women used as hostages to pressure family members to surrender.
Endless suffering
The statement noted that the tragedy of the Palestinian mother begins the moment the occupation forces violently storm her home, often in the late hours of the night, where she is dragged from among her children under the threat of weapons, amidst the screams of her little ones and the deliberate humiliation before their eyes.
The suffering continues during the harsh transportation and interrogation processes, where they are subjected to humiliation and psychological and physical torture. Female prisoners have been denied family visits since the beginning of the genocide.
Investigation and detention centers
After arrest, the suffering of the female prisoners is again witnessed in the interrogation centers, where they are subjected to harsh interrogation methods. They are forced to stand for long hours in inhumane conditions, deprived of sleep and food, and face constant threats of violence in all its forms.
The statement highlighted that many female prisoners are denied the right to speak with their lawyers, which exacerbates their suffering and leaves long-term effects on their physical and mental health.
Damon Prison: Cruelty and inhumane detention conditions
The vast majority of female prisoners are held in Damon Prison, one of the main centers for Palestinian women’s detention. Female prisoners in this facility face severe conditions that have significantly worsened since October 7, 2023, especially in the weeks following this date, during which they have been subjected to continuous assaults, including solitary confinement and maltreatment by repression units.
As part of these ongoing violations, the prison administration has implemented a policy of starvation, preventing female prisoners, like other detainees, from purchasing food through the “canteen” and providing them with poor-quality meals in terms of quantity and type.
Additionally, overcrowding in the prison has increased the suffering of female prisoners, forcing many to sleep on the floor due to a severe shortage of clothing and blankets. This situation has worsened with the cold weather, as some female prisoners were forced to wear the same clothes they were arrested in for extended periods without change.
Ongoing suffering and denial of medical care
The medical crimes against the Palestinian female prisoners and detainees in the Israeli prisons represent a continuous human rights violation for decades, as many female prisoners are denied necessary medical care despite suffering from chronic diseases or injuries sustained during arrest.
Female prisoners are deprived of essential medications for their treatment, and some experience severe delays in receiving care, leading to the deterioration of their health, according to prisoner organizations.
Among the imprisoned mothers, at least one is pregnant in her third month and is a mother of two daughters, suffering from difficult health conditions due to deliberate medical neglect. This prisoner and others like her are not provided with adequate care and are denied their rights to necessary examinations or essential treatment to maintain their health and the life of the fetus, according to the statement.
