RAMALLAH (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs has said that the Israeli prison service (IPS) has escalated its measures against the Palestinian prisoners in its jails since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement on Monday, the head of the Commission Qaddura Fares accused the IPS of doubling its repressive measures against the prisoners during Ramadan, including severe beatings, insults and confiscation of copies of the holy Qur’an from cells.
Fares said that Israel’s far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir recently appointed his close friend Kobi Ya’akobi as acting commissioner of the prison service, adding that Ya’akobi seeks to become director of the prison service by proving his loyalty to his position at the expense of the Palestinian prisoners’ dignity, health and lives.
“The situation has become more dangerous than anyone could imagine and the lives of the prisoners have become threatened in a real sense as a result of the ongoing punitive practices that have cumulatively affected the health of the prisoners, especially since we are in the sixth month of this serious situation,” Fares warned.
He pointed out that the isolated prisoners are exposed to different types of torture and humiliation at the hands of members of special IPS units in Israeli jails.
The Commission called on the international community to break its silence by taking serious action against the Israeli occupation state to curb its systematic crimes against Palestinian prisoners.
