Palestinian Prisoners Endure Deadly Summer in Israeli Jails
Israel's prison authorities, former detainees say, are turning even the changing weather into a weapon of suffering.
As temperatures and humidity rise, poor ventilation in Israeli prisons and detention centers worsens the ordeal—especially in desert prisons, coastal facilities, and older jails notorious for solitary confinement.
According to new figures from the Palestinian Authority's Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Israel currently holds more than 10,800 Palestinians, including 48 women and over 440 children.
Around 3,600 are under administrative detention without charge or trial, while 2,454 prisoners from Gaza are classified by Israel as 'unlawful combatants.'
'Deadly' Conditions
Former prisoner Mohammed Qaoud said that Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees amounts to a form of slow torture.
'Israeli authorities practice all types of abuse—physical, psychological, even sexual—and they seem to take pleasure in the suffering of Palestinian prisoners, especially those from Gaza,' he said.
Qaoud recalled sweltering summers in sealed cells with almost no ventilation, where prisoners are forbidden frequent showers. 'We were allowed to shower once every three weeks for just two minutes,' he said. 'We wore the same clothes and were dragged out even if we hadn't finished.'
He added that prisoners were often denied clean clothing for up to six months and forced to wear winter uniforms in the summer and summer clothes in the winter, triggering widespread skin diseases.
Former prisoner Khidr Abdel Aal shared similar testimony: 'We were banned from using soap or hygiene products. We couldn't cut our nails or shave for up to ten months.'
In addition, he described a primitive shower system with six water pipes for eight men, forcing each prisoner to rush through bathing in under a minute. The lack of hygiene led Abdel Aal to develop severe skin ulcers and blood poisoning. He said the prison administration refused him even basic painkillers or antibiotics.
Overcrowding, Disease
Lawyer Hassan Abbadi said conditions in Israeli jails have deteriorated sharply since October 7, 2023.
'Prisoners are enduring unbearable heat in sealed rooms with poor ventilation, extreme overcrowding, and a severe lack of cold water,' Abbadi siad. 'Fans and air conditioning are forbidden, and sanitation is almost nonexistent.'
Cells now hold double their previous population. 'A single section houses 150 detainees where there used to be 50,' he said. 'One room crams 15 prisoners onto eight decaying mattresses.'
High humidity and poor ventilation have caused widespread outbreaks of skin diseases like scabies. Prisoners report rashes, sores, and allergic reactions. Handcuffs are applied without disinfection, further spreading infections.
Abbadi said Israeli occupation authorities also employ a policy of deliberate starvation, intentionally reducing prisoners' weight by nearly one-third. Cells often reek of foul odors and insects infest living areas. Prisoners in solitary confinement are frequently deprived of cold water.
In the Negev desert prison, temperatures can soar to 45°C (113°F). 'Detainees avoid leaving their tents during extreme heat for fear of heatstroke,' Abbadi said. 'There is no medicine or first aid if someone collapses.'
Prisoners also face the threat of venomous snakes, scorpions, and rodents emerging from the desert during the summer heat, with no measures in place to protect them.
Medical Neglect
Sick prisoners suffer most under these conditions. Abbadi said 40% of detainees were healthy at the time of their arrest but developed illnesses in prison due to medical neglect and harsh conditions.
Women prisoners face unique challenges. 'There is no gynecologist for the female detainees—only a general doctor,' Abbadi said. Pregnant detainees receive no special care.
'They are forced to give birth while shackled, enduring labor and delivery in chains,' he said. He cited the cases of prisoner Mirvat Taha, who gave birth to her son Wael while handcuffed, and Manal Ghanem from Nablus, who delivered her son Nour in the same conditions.
Rights groups warn that without urgent international intervention, the combination of heat, overcrowding, medical neglect, and abuse could turn this summer into one of the deadliest for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
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