Israel should not get away with 'brutal crimes' against Palestinian prisoners: Media office

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office has condemned the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, asserting that the “brutal Israeli crimes” against inmates will not go unpunished.

The Media Office said the Palestinians released as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal are in critical condition and a number of them have been hospitalized.

“We follow with great concern the brutal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian prisoners, which were clearly demonstrated in the tragic state of those released as their bodies appeared to bear witness to years of systematic torture and serious violations,” the Office said in a statement issued on Monday.

The statement noted that the released prisoners revealed various types of torture they had been subjected to, as the traces of severe beatings and abuse were clearly visible.

Additionally, the freed Palestinian prisoners are suffering from diseases that have been exacerbated by deliberate medical neglect.

“Their testimonies contained shocking evidence of the occupation’s practices, including the use of prisoners as human shields, in flagrant violation of all international conventions,” the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office noted.

The statement underlined that the Israeli regime’s practices against Palestinian prisoners have crossed all red lines.

“These violations, which amount to war crimes, cannot pass without accountability, and we call on international human rights institutions to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities,” the Office stated.

Palestinians subjected to ‘severe torture’ under Israeli detention: Euro-Med

Euro-Med says the terrible health conditions in which Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons indicate a pattern of torture and abuse until the very last moments.

During the ceasefire exchange that started last month, Israeli captives have generally been observed to be in satisfactory physical condition. In contrast, numerous Palestinian detainees have reportedly experienced significant weight loss while in custody, with some exhibiting difficulty in the ability to walk attributed to their deteriorated physical health and experiences of physical mistreatment.

Israel has released a list of more than 700 Palestinians who are to be released under the Gaza ceasefire deal. More than 230 are serving life sentences and will be permanently sent to exile upon release.

Hamas has said Israel was forced to “open the doors of his cells to our heroic prisoners” after months of “unprecedented brutal aggression that targeted every inch of Gaza in its barbarity.”

Israel keeps Palestinian inmates under deplorable conditions without proper hygienic standards. Palestinian inmates have also been facing systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to an open-ended hunger strike in an attempt to express outrage at their illegal detention.

Human rights organizations say Israel continues to violate all rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention and international laws. 

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