Palestinian Women Face Oppression and Medical Neglect in Israeli Prisons

The Palestinian Information Office for Prisoners has revealed deeply concerning humanitarian conditions endured by female Palestinian prisoners at Damon Prison. Their suffering continues to worsen due to medical neglect, ongoing acts of oppression and isolation, and the detention of pregnant women, cancer patients, minors, and the elderly in conditions that fail to meet the most basic standards of humane living. The office explained that there are currently 99 female prisoners held in Damon Prison, who are experiencing an increase in violations amid deteriorating physical and psychological health. Three pregnant prisoners—Amina Shaher Al-Tawil, Dana Anad Joudeh, and Manar Ibrahim Karajah—are serving their pregnancies inside the prison, far from their families, without receiving adequate medical care for themselves or their unborn children. In terms of health, prisoner Fidaa Assaf suffers from leukaemia, while Suhair Za’aqiq is battling cancer. Abeer Odeh faces complex health conditions after losing 25 per cent of her oesophagus and part of her intestines, and she suffers from recurrent vomiting of blood, with medical examinations revealing three lumps in her stomach. Additionally, prisoner Fatimah Yusuf suffers from hepatitis, amidst continued medical neglect and delays in receiving treatment. The office also highlighted other humanitarian cases, including prisoner Firdaws Tanatrah, who has a physical disability, and elderly prisoner Salwa Ghawadra from Jenin, who exhibits symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease to the extent that she no longer remembers her actual age, following her arrest at a military checkpoint. The office explained that children remain behind bars, as the Israeli occupation authorities continue to detain two minors, Ola Qteishat and Nada Bani Odeh, in a room separate from the other female prisoners. Two other prisoners, Sally Sidqah and Hanaa Hammad, were moved to another room after turning 18 during their detention. The report confirmed that the Damon Prison administration continues to enforce oppressive policies against the female prisoners. During April, the prison authorities carried out 21 crackdown operations, followed by five operations in May, the most severe of which occurred on 13 May, and four further crackdown operations during June. The Israeli occupation authorities are also continuing to hold three prisoners in solitary confinement: Shireen Hamamreh, Nidaa Qatamesh, and Aya Fuqaha. They are implementing a policy of weekly rotation in isolation as a means of draining the prisoners psychologically and breaking their morale. The Palestinian Information Office for Prisoners affirmed that what the female prisoners are experiencing in Damon Prison represents a serious escalation in the violation of their rights. The office called on the international community and human rights and humanitarian organisations to take urgent action to provide protection for the female prisoners and to end the policies of medical neglect, oppression, and isolation imposed upon them.