On Mother's Day: 14 Palestinian Mothers Languish in Israeli Prisons

March 21, 2025
Ramallah, Palestine – At least 14 Palestinian mothers are being held in Israeli occupation prisons, prevented from any kind of contact with their children - who are likewise suffering - prisoner rights groups said today which is Mother’s Day in the region.

Palestinian women, like all segments of Palestinian society, are living through the most violent period in the history of the occupation. Female political prisoners, in particular, are undergoing the worst conditions yet including sexual assault, maltreatment, torture and abuse.

As part of its ongoing genocide and heightened violence, the occupation’s mass arrest campaigns have targeted tens of thousands of Palestinians, including women and mothers. The rate of arrests among women has reached the highest figure historically, with the occupation military carrying out at least 500 arrests of women. The arrests included abducted women, including mothers, wives and sisters, who were used as hostages to pressure their male family members into surrendering.

Please find below a briefing on the occasion of Mother’s Day prepared by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) & Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association👇🏼

Increased Suffering for Negev Prison Detainees During Ramadan

March 16, 2025

The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs stated in its report that detainees in Negev Prison are subjected to ill treatment by prison guards. They have faced repression, beatings, and rubber bullets multiple times over the past week.

Additionally, the prison administration deliberately placed detainees infected with scabies with those who are not, intentionally spreading the infection as a form of punishment.

Moreover, it exploits the holy month of Ramadan to further tighten restrictions by reducing food portions.

According to the lawyer’s visit, Detainee Ahmad Radwan Hamamrah, 26, from Kufr Aqab/ Jerusalem suffers from bad health conditions, as he’s in an advanced stage of scabies, with boils covering all his features.
As for detainee Alaa Shalaldah, 23, from Hebron, suffers from pain in the joints, sinusitis and breath shortness.
With regard to detainee Muhammad Hazeen, 35, from Qalandia refugee camp/ Jerusalem, he suffers from diabetes and hypertension.

International Women’s Day 2025 Report: Female Palestinian Political Detainees

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) & the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs

تقرير يوم المرأة العالمي

Prisonergroupsreport_WomensDay2025

Israel carries out 15,700 political arrests of Palestinians in West Bank since Gaza genocide

March 18, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – The Israeli occupation army has carried out 15,700 political arrests of Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem since the start of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023, prisoner institutions said in a briefing today.

This figure does not represent the number of individuals arrested, but rather cases of arrest. It includes those who remain in detention, and those who were later released. It does not include the total number of arrests from occupied Gaza, which is estimated to be in the thousands.

Among the 15,700, there have been approximately 500 cases of arrest among Palestinian women in the West Bank, at least 1,200 cases of arrest among Palestinian children, and at least 170 cases of arrest amid journalists.

The number of Palestinians held in the occupation's military camps and central prisons exceeds 9,500 people as of the start of March 2025, not including all of those abducted from Gaza.

Please find a short briefing paper in English below breaking down the facts and figures👇🏼

Israel carries out 15,700 political arrests of Palestinians in West Bank since start of Gaza genocide

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Commission of Detainees’ Affairs & Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association

March 18, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – The Israeli occupation army has carried out 15,700 political arrests of Palestinians across the West Bank and Jerusalem since the start of the genocide in October 2023. This figure does not represent the number of individuals arrested, but rather cases of arrest. It includes those who remain in detention, and those who were later released. It does not include the total number of arrests from occupied Gaza, which is estimated to be in the thousands.

• Women: There have been approximately 500 cases of arrest among Palestinian females in the West Bank. The 500 figure includes women arrested from the 1948-occupied territories, as well as women from Gaza who were arrested in the occupied West Bank. It does not however include dozens of other women who were abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip and are being subject to enforced disappearances.

• Children: There have been at least 1,200 cases of arrest among Palestinian minors.

• Journalists: Arrests among journalists reached more than 170 cases of arrest, of whom 51 remain in detention, including two female journalists.

Key figures until start of March 2025

The number of Palestinians held in the occupation's military camps and central prisons exceeds 9,500 people as of the end of February and start of March 2025.

These include:

• At least 350 children and 26 females including one minor.
• 3,405 Palestinians are being held without trial or charge, under the ‘administrative detention’ military order.
• 1,555 Palestinians abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip and are being held without trial or charge under the Israeli “illegal combatants” law. Note that this figure does not include all Gaza detainees, particularly those held in the occupation’s military camps.

Before the genocide, there was a total of 5,250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 40 females, 170 children, and around 1,320 “administrative detainees.”

Electric Shocks & Buckets for Bathrooms: New Horrific Testimonies from Palestinian Political Detainees

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society & Commission of Detainees’ Affairs
March 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – Newly-gathered testimonies of Palestinian political prisoners held by the Israeli occupation reveal high levels of ongoing abuse and torture, particularly of detainees abducted from the Gaza Strip, who are facing the highest rates and worst kinds of maltreatment.

Lawyers of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) visited detainees held at the notorious Sde Teiman military detention camp, the Ofer military camp, as well as the Naqab prison.

The testimonies reflect a wide array of crimes being practiced against detainees. These encompass various types of torture including water, sound and electric torture, severe physical assault, prolonged shackling, deliberately unsanitary living conditions leading to diseases, and medical deprivation among many other things. This level of abuse of detainees often leads to false confessions.

Detainees abducted from occupied Gaza who were visited in the Naqab prison told lawyers that they are held in sections with no toilets, forcing them to relieve themselves in buckets. Prisoners are also prevented from showering or changing their clothes for months at a time. Meanwhile, many detainees were made to believe by soldiers that their family members including their children were killed during the genocide, only to find out through lawyer’s visits months later that that information is false, in what is yet another form of psychological and mental torture.

These are just some examples of the horrific details in the testimonies we gathered laid out in the report below 👇🏼

Electric Shocks & Buckets for Bathrooms:

New Horrific Testimonies from Palestinian Political Detainees

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society & Commission of Detainees’ Affairs

March 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – Newly-gathered testimonies of Palestinian political prisoners held by the Israeli occupation reveal high levels of ongoing abuse and torture, particularly of detainees abducted from the Gaza Strip, who are facing the highest rates and worst kinds of maltreatment.

Lawyers of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) visited detainees held at the notorious Sde Teiman military detention camp, the Ofer military camp, as well as the Naqab prison.

The testimonies reflect a wide array of crimes being practiced against detainees. These encompass various types of torture including water, sound and electric torture, severe physical assault, prolonged shackling, deliberately unsanitary living conditions leading to diseases, and medical deprivation among many other things. This level of abuse of detainees often leads to false confessions.

Detainees abducted from occupied Gaza who were visited in the Naqab prison told lawyers that they are held in sections with no toilets, forcing them to relieve themselves in buckets. Prisoners are also prevented from showering or changing their clothes for months at a time. Meanwhile, many detainees were made to believe by soldiers that their family members including their children were killed during the genocide, only to find out through lawyer’s visits months later that that information is false, in what is yet another form of psychological and mental torture.

Dozens of Palestinian detainees have been martyred in the occupation’s custody in an unprecedented rate of killings since the genocide in Gaza in October 2023. This has included both direct murder such as raping, torturing and beating prisoners to death, as well as indirect killings using intentional medical deprivation and other methods. Over the past few weeks, four detainees were killed in a matter of days.

Palestinian prisoner institutions affirm that the Israeli occupation holds full responsibility for every detainee who lost their lives in its custody as well as the for the fate of thousands more who remain behind bars. While there are at least 9,500 Palestinians in Israel’s custody, hundreds more detainees who were abducted from Gaza remain forcibly disappeared.

Torture, physical assault & abuse

- Detainee (S.A.): "I was arrested from al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. I was held in military camps for 97 days in the Gaza envelope. I was then held at Ofer Prison for 30 days, after which I was transferred to the Naqab prison. I was interrogated during my arrest and subjected to severe physical assault, causing deep wounds to my head and broken ribs. I was subjected to harsh interrogation for 30 days after my arrest, including the 'disco interrogation' torture method.[1] I was subjected to this type of torture more than seven times, accompanied by beatings, deprivation of food, and permission to shower. In Naqab prison, I was also interrogated, and due to the intensity of the torture and beatings, I lost consciousness several times. This led me to make false confessions to things I didn’t do."

- Detainee (M.Y.): "I was detained with about 40 other men. They stripped us completely naked and made us wear white clothing they provided. During this time, we were continuously physically attacked and beaten with sticks and boots; no one was spared. This led to many being injured including myself. I suffered from prolonged nosebleeding without receiving any treatment. After about 24 hours, we were transferred to Sde Teiman military camp, where we were given prison uniforms. Until then, we remained in white clothes in the freezing cold while being beaten. I remained blindfolded and handcuffed for 14 days. I was also subjected to the 'disco' interrogation for 12 hours, where I was placed in a closed room with very loud music. Throughout this time, I was blindfolded. After I was exhausted from the sound, they tried to pressure me into cooperating with them, but I refused.”

- Detainee (D.A.): "I was arrested in the morning hours after soldiers filmed me with a camera and told me I wouldn’t be able to go back to Gaza. In the afternoon, soldiers transferred other detainees and I by truck to the Sde Teiman camp. On the way, we were severely beaten. I was repeatedly beaten on my stomach and face. During this time, I remained handcuffed and blindfolded. When we entered the camp, they gave us prison uniforms, and I remained handcuffed and blindfolded for 12 days. During that time, I was forced to sit in humiliating and painful positions, especially on my knees. Inside the barracks of the prison, they deliberately took our mattresses daily and prevented us from lying down all day. This continued for 39 days. I was able to change my clothes for the first time after 72 days and was able to shave my head only after 110 days of my arrest."

- Detainee (N. W.): "My hands were tied and blindfolded the entire time. They forced us to sit in certain positions, specifically on our knees. Four days after my arrest, I was taken to meet with the intelligence services. I waited a full day for the interview, and throughout this period, I remained handcuffed in a very painful manner. Despite my request to loosen the handcuffs slightly, they refused. I also remained without food or drink throughout this period. I do not know which camp I was being held in at the start of my detention. My hands were tied and blindfolded the entire time, sitting on my knees. The place was very cold. After 21 days, I was transferred to the Sde Teiman camp, where I was severely beaten, specifically in the chest area. As a result, I started experiencing shortness of breath. We were electrocuted and hit with weapons."

Starvation & skin diseases

- Detainee (J.W.): "I still suffer from scabies and boils on my body. I was also severely beaten during my frequent transfers, and as a result, I have a broken tooth, which causes me severe and constant pain. I can no longer hear well out of my left ear after they poured water into it in a harmful way. The detainees are suffering from starvation. Only a small amount of food is provided. What is called a meal is barely a quarter of a meal for each detainee and the quality is unfit for human consumption. Detainees save the small pieces of food given to them throughout the day to eat them as one meal in the evening."

- Detainee (K.Y.) is held with 55 others at the Sde Teiman military camp in what detainees are referring to as a ‘barracks: “We are subject to near-daily physical assault, repression, sound and gas bombs inside the barracks after being ordered to lie on our stomachs and to remain like that for a long period of time. The prison guards keep screaming at us and beating us when we are taken for interrogation. They also deliberately trip us while walking, while we are blindfolded and handcuffed during the transfer. We are subject to the whims of the soldiers practicing torture and humiliation against us. Sometimes we are allowed to walk, but most of the time we remain seated on the metal beds, two prisoners per bed. We are not allowed to talk, and anyone who disobeys is punished by being shackled for hours next to the 'fence' – the area designated for shackling in the 'barracks.'"

- Detainee (A. H.): "Upon my arrest, they separated the men from the women; the men were taken to a nearby building, and ordered to strip completely. They then attacked them with severe beatings while they were naked, and insulted and called them the worst names. After two hours, we were transferred in a truck, then to another location where we stayed for an entire night. Throughout this time, we were subjected to beatings and humiliation. They submerged our heads in water[2] and they threatened us with murdering us. We were forced to kneel on the ground while naked, and we were forced to say, "Moses is the Messenger of God." Throughout the night, we remained naked in the freezing cold, bound and blindfolded. When we were transferred to the Sde Teiman camp, we were examined by a doctor, but he ignored our injuries. We were later transferred to the ‘barracks,’ where we remained for 90 days. We were also bound and blindfolded for another 20 days.”

Detainee (A. H.) added: "Repressive measures are systematic. About 20 days ago, they attacked us with sound bombs. One of these bombs exploded next to me, injuring my foot and shoulder. I did not receive any treatment, even though I suffered prolonged pain. These attacks occur on a weekly basis, sometimes multiple times a week. This did not stop during Ramadan. Before the pre-dawn meal, they stormed the barracks, forced us to sleep on the floor, and attacked us with beatings, insults, and hurled sound bombs at us."

- Detainee (Z. L.): "Upon my arrest, they handcuffed and blindfolded me. We were then taken to a building, then to an open area in the bitter cold. It was raining heavily. We were later transferred to the Sde Teiman camp. We were completely naked, and they were constantly cursing and shouting at us. Initially, we were placed in an arch-shaped barracks for 12 days. We were more than 70 detainees at the time. They had to sit the entire time with their hands tied and blindfolded. They were forced to keep the handcuffs on even when they needed to relieve themselves."

Detainee (Z. L.) added: "The first time I was able to change my clothes after my arrest was on the 50th day." He also that they were subjected to violent beatings. There were detainees who were injured and bleeding as a result of the assault.” His head was hit against a wall, causing an eye injury, the marks of which are still visible, the lawyer who visited him said.

----ENDS

[1] The use of ‘music torture’ referred to as the ‘disco interrogation method,’ is when detainees are exposed to loud noise or music for prolonged periods of time. This practice is often paired with stress positions, sleep deprivation and intentional starvation. It was used by the United States army in Iraq and has been used in Guantanamo Bay prison.

[2] Dunking a detainee’s head in water is one form of physical torture that involves suffocating the detainee in water for prolonged periods of time.

Elderly Palestinian Political Detainee Killed in Israeli Occupation’s Custody
6/3/2025

Commission of Detainees’ Affairs & the Palestinian Prisoner's Society

Ramallah, Palestine - Israeli occupation authorities have disclosed the martyrdom of a 62-year-old Palestinian male detainee in their custody two weeks after his death: Ali Ashour Ali al-Batsh, who was abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip 14 months ago.

The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs was informed only today, March 6, 2025, that al-Batsh lost his life on February 21. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) and the Commission of Detainees' Affairs subsequently informed his family.

Al-Batsh, who is a husband and father to six children, was abducted by occupation forces on December 12, 2023. He lost his life days after he was transferred from the occupation’s Naqab prison where he was being held, to the Soroka Hospital.

Al-Batsh is the latest Palestinian political prisoner to be killed by the occupation in its custody. The rate and frequency of killings of Palestinian detainees is unprecedented, particularly since the genocide in Gaza. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs affirm once again that the Israeli occupation holds full responsibility for the murder of al-Batsh and dozens of other detainees in its custody - some of whom were tortured to death - and must be held accountable for these crimes.

Al-Batsh is the fourth Palestinian detainee to be martyred in just over a week. With his killing, the number of identified martyred Palestinian detainees since the start of the genocide on October 7, 2023, to 62 people, at least 40 of whom were abducted from the occupied Gaza Strip. As a result, the number of identified martyred Palestinian detainees since the occupation of 1967 has risen to 299 people. Additionally, the number of martyred detainees whose bodies are still being withheld by the occupation has risen to 71 people, including 60 people since the genocide.

The occupation army only responds sporadically and arbitrarily to legal requests for information, and often uses the pretext of an ‘ongoing investigation’ to evade accountability, and to torture Palestinians both physically and mentally as a matter of policy. The Israeli army is the only official side able to reveal the fate of martyred Palestinian detainees since there is no evidence of their killing with the army continuing to withhold their bodies.

The Commission and the PPS stress that the rate of Palestinian detainees losing their lives is unprecedented and will only increase with time. Thousands of Palestinians are held behind bars undergoing a myriad of severe violations including torture, starvation, sexual assault, deprivation of medical treatment, unsanitary conditions leading grave and infectious diseases. The international community must act now to save the lives of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli custody.

Abu Hummos discusses the latest developments on detainees’ cause with Pertron Lamon

March 17, 2020

The head of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, Raed Abu Hummos, received the director of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offices in the West Bank and Jerusalem, Pertron Lamon, on Monday morning, to discuss the latest developments related to the living conditions of detainees held in Israeli prisons and the detainees released by the exchange deal.

Abu Hummos confirmed that the general conditions in prisons still difficult and complicated. He warned that the escalating Israeli measures against male and female detainees pose a real threat to their lives.
Prison guards have crossed the lines in dealing with detainees, in terms of beating, insult, starvation and torture.

Regarding detainees released in the exchange deal, Abu Hummos called on the ICRC to fulfill its obligations and stressed that its presence in the occupied territories and the nature if its work require taking a bold step to monitor the actions of the occupation authorities and document their violations in official reports.

Abu Hummos criticized the ICRC for refraining from issuing release certificates for detainees who were released by the exchange deal, which contradicts the organization’s objectivity and independence, as the pretext of not receiving official lists from the occupation authorities of the release date is not acceptable. He pointed out that the exchange deal process was conducted under the ICRC supervision, and detainees were medically examined by their teams. Thus, this is sufficient for the ICRC to fulfill its obligations and issue release certificates without permission or instructions from the occupation authorities.
Abu Hummos stressed on the deep faith in partnership and collaboration with the ICRC, which must be based on humanitarian and ethical principles. He demonstrated that the first stage of the exchange deal reflected a successful working relationship between both sides.

Over 760 arrests in occupied West Bank in February 2025: Palestinian prisoners’ institutions

March 10, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine - Israeli occupation authorities continue to carry out mass arrests in the West Bank. The total number of arrests in February 2025 reached 762, with the majority targeting Jenin city, villages and its refugee camp. That figure indicates cases of arrest and not individuals. Among the 762, there were 19 cases of arrest among women, and 90 cases among children. This does not include the hundreds of Palestinians temporarily abducted during hours-long field interrogations across the occupied West Bank.

Please find below a report by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) & Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, highlighting key facts and figures surrounding Palestinian detainees in February 2025.

▪️ March 2025 update on number of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli occupation’s custody

As of the start of March, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli occupation prisons, detention centers and military camps has exceeded 9,500 people. This figure does not include all the people who were arrested from Gaza, particularly those being held in military camps.

The 9,500 people include:
- More than 350 Palestinian children
- At least 21 Palestinian women
- 3,405 Palestinians are held without trial or charge, under ‘administrative detention’
- 1,555 Palestinians who were arrested from Gaza, held without trial or charge, under “illegal combatants” law

Before the genocide, the number of Palestinians held in the occupation’s custody was at least 5,250 people, including 40 female prisoners, 170 children, and approximately 1,320 ‘administrative detainees.’

Note: The number of detainees is subject to change on a daily basis due to ongoing arrest campaigns.