Israel escalates violence against female Palestinian prisoners: Advocacy group

The Palestine Prisoners Studies Center says Israel has escalated its “aggressive” policies against female Palestinian abductees, urging the international community to break their silence and take an action on the regime’s crimes.

Israel “has significantly escalated” the targeting of female Palestinians since October 7, 2023, transforming Damon prison into “a place of complete isolation”, Riyad al-Ashqar, the head of the Palestine Prisoners Studies Center, said.

The report added that the regime has banned canteen access and family visits, reduced food portions by half, and confiscated the belongings of the abductees, including clothing and books, exacerbating their suffering.

The group slammed the international community “hypocrisy”, saying they shed tears over female Israeli captives who were held in Gaza, although they were not subjected to any form of torture during the 16-month war, while remained silent on Israeli deliberate violations of Palestinians’ rights.

The report said the Israeli entity “deliberately violates all human rights treaties” and practices torture of female Palestinians, who were “arbitrary detained”, without accountability or even condemnation.

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According to the group, approximately 500 women have been detained since October 7, 2023, including dozens of minors.

After the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, 71 female Palestinians were released, Ashqar said, adding that 20, including pregnant women, cancer patients, are still held in Israeli prisons.

He said the regime prevents the female abductees from having access to clocks to keep track of time during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslim worshippers observe dawn-to-dusk fasting.

It also violates their privacy by installing surveillance cameras throughout the prison, and raids the prison cells without prior notice, denying them time to wear their hijabs.

During the raids, the abductees are also physically and verbally attacked by Israeli troops.

According to the organization, many women have also been abducted by Israeli forces during the genocidal war on Gaza, and their numbers and conditions remain unknown.

The Palestine Prisoners Studies Center urged “the civilized world” and institutions that claim to be neutral and advocates of human rights, to demand an end to the ongoing crimes against the Palestinian women that “amount to war crimes”.

Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023. It has killed over 48,500 Palestinians there so far.

In January, the Israeli regime was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas given the regime’s failure to achieve any of its objectives, including the “elimination” of the Palestinian resistance movement or the release of captives.

During the first phase of the deal, Hamas exchanged 33 Israeli captives and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinians.

The 42-day stage of the truce, which was marred by repeated Israeli violations, expired on March 1, with Israel calling for an extension of the truce to allow the release of the remaining captives. There has been no mention by the regime of any commitment to end the war or fully withdraw its troops, however.

Hamas has insisted on proceeding to negotiations on a permanent ceasefire before agreeing to any further releases.

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