WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Asra Media Office has warned of worsening conditions for Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons as winter sets in, amid an ongoing state of emergency since October 7, 2023, which has turned into a systematic policy of retaliation.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Office said prison authorities are using cold weather as a direct form of torture, alongside beatings, starvation, and complete isolation from the outside world. Prisoners are held in damp cells lacking even the most basic human necessities.
The statement described the prison environment as harsh and inhumane, marked by constant humidity and cold day and night, as well as severe overcrowding in rooms unfit for human habitation.
Among the deliberate practices reported are the opening of windows during freezing nights and closing them during the daytime sun, leading to continuous physical and psychological exhaustion of prisoners.
The Office confirmed that these practices are part of a broader policy of collective punishment that includes systematic starvation, poor-quality and insufficient food, confiscation of clothing and blankets, seizure of personal belongings, repeated raids, mattress removal, and complete denial of family and lawyer visits, as well as isolating prisoner leaders in extremely harsh conditions.
As of early December, Israel continues to detain approximately 9,300 Palestinian prisoners, including 51 women (2 girls), 350 children, 3,350 administrative detainees, and 1,220 detainees labeled as “unlawful combatants”, not including detainees from Gaza.
