GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Asra Media Office (AMO) said on Monday that the administration of the Israeli Ganot prison continues to deny medical treatment to detainees from Gaza, especially those injured during a crackdown on October 7, leaving prisoners with fractures and other injuries without care.
The AMO said one prisoner suffered broken ribs and a head injury during the latest assault but had not received treatment. It added that prison authorities refused to give painkillers to another prisoner with a broken leg fixed with metal plates, despite his request.
The denial of treatment also affects prisoners with chronic illnesses. According to the AMO, one detainee suffering from thalassemia and high blood pressure is not receiving blood pressure medication and has lost around 50 kilograms since his arrest because of the lack and poor quality of food.
Prisoners with scabies and fungal infections are also suffering pain and itching that prevent them from sleeping, amid shortages of medicine and cleaning materials. The AMO said prisoners are allowed to wash their clothes only once every 10 days, and for a period too short to serve everyone.
The Office held Israel responsible for the deteriorating health of detainees and called on international institutions and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene to ensure treatment for sick and injured prisoners.
The latest reports come days after the Office revealed details of the October 7 assault on Gaza prisoners in Ganot prison, saying repression forces used rubber bullets, gas, pepper spray, sticks and batons, and brought police dogs into prisoners’ rooms.
According to a statement published on October 8, the assault caused fractures in several prisoners’ hands, burns to one prisoner’s hand after he was hit by a gas canister, and renewed injury to a detainee’s previously wounded leg, which is fixed with metal plates. His request to be taken to the clinic was reportedly ignored.
The AMO said prisoners suffering from scabies and boils were also beaten, causing their wounds to bleed. It added that detainees were denied breakfast, had lunch delayed and were prevented from using the bathroom during the crackdown.
The health crisis in Ganot predates the latest assault. In August, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported continued beatings, repression, lack of health care and shortages of personal items in the prison, based on visits and prisoners’ testimonies.
The Commission said some rooms held 12 prisoners despite having only 10 beds, forcing two detainees to sleep on the floor. It also documented the removal of mattresses from morning until evening count and restrictions on washing clothes, creating worsening conditions for prisoners already facing injury, disease and denial of treatment.
