Palestinian women prisoners have faced rising ill-treatment and abuse since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) , following reports that female detainees in Israel's Damon Prison have been subjected to dozens of prison crackdowns and restrictions on religious practice.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office said women held in Damon Prison had been subjected to 30 prison crackdowns over the past three months, They said that women in the prison were continuing to face isolation, denial of family visits and ongoing medical neglect, amid other restrictions.
It added that one of the harshest crackdowns against female prisoners had taken place last month in recent months.
According to the group, Israeli prison authorities carried out a major operation in Damon Prison on 13 May involving physical and psychological abuse.
The organisation said that prison units "forced the female prisoners to lie face down on the ground while handcuffed for long hours before assaulting them through beatings, dragging and trampling".
It further claimed that detainees "were forced to remain handcuffed and blindfolded in painful positions and were subjected to abusive remarks and sexually suggestive comments".
The statement also alleged that some women were subjected to humiliating searches in front of male guards and that restraints were tightened violently, causing injuries and lasting physical effects.
Abdullah Zaghey of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society told The New Arab that the abuses were not confined to Damon Prison.
"These measures are not limited to Damon Prison alone. Since October 2023, we have documented a systematic escalation of punitive measures across Israeli prisons, including restrictions on religious practices, reduced access to prison yards, limitations on communication, confiscation of personal belongings, and the imposition of harsher living conditions," he said.
"Female prisoners have also been subjected to a range of other violations, including physical and psychological abuse, starvation policies, medical neglect, solitary confinement, and various forms of verbal and sexual harassment and violence, although the nature and severity of these violations may vary from one prison to another."
He added that testimonies gathered by the organisation pointed to increased isolation, repeated cell raids and searches, deprivation of basic necessities, declining access to healthcare, restrictions on family visits and legal consultations, and ongoing psychological pressure.
"The period following October 2023 has been marked by a sharp deterioration in detention conditions and an unprecedented escalation in measures that undermine the fundamental rights and human dignity of Palestinian female prisoners," Zaghey said.
Women are also facing increasing restrictions on their religious rights
The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office said female prisoners were struggling to determine the time of the Fajr prayer due to restrictions imposed inside the prison, adding that "this deprivation infringes on their religious rights and increases their daily suffering".
"The issue of preventing female prisoners from accurately determining the time of the Fajr prayer reflects a broader system of restrictions, isolation, and deprivation that has intensified in recent months," Zaghey said.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, approximately 88 Palestinian women are currently being held in Israeli prisons, including two minors and three pregnant women, with the majority detained at Damon Prison.