RAMALLAH, (PIC)
The Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies has highlighted the Israeli authorities’ denial of essential medical assistive devices to prisoners, exacerbating their suffering and limiting their ability to cope with disabilities and various injuries.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Center said that since 7 October, Israeli authorities have stopped allowing families to provide necessary medical items by depositing money for purchases through the prison canteen, while prison administrations refuse to supply them free of charge.
The Center noted that hundreds of prisoners are in urgent need of basic medical devices, including prosthetic limbs for amputees, prescription glasses, hearing aids, breathing devices, and inhalers for chronic asthma patients, as well as crutches and wheelchairs.
It accused Israeli authorities of deliberately withholding these devices to intensify prisoners’ suffering and worsen their health conditions, stating that the policy is being carried out under directives from Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has repeatedly threatened further punitive measures against detainees.
The Center added that Israeli authorities employ multiple methods that aggravate the suffering of sick prisoners, within a broader policy of deliberate medical neglect that has led to the deaths of dozens of detainees in custody.
It reported that more than 1,500 prisoners suffer from various illnesses, including 27 diagnosed with cancer, amid what it described as a policy of collective health punishment through delays in treatment and systematic medical neglect.
The statement stressed that medical neglect in prisons is one of the most dangerous tools used against detainees, with patients often left without adequate treatment in facilities that sometimes lack even a doctor, leading to worsening conditions and life-threatening complications.
It further revealed that dozens of prisoners suffer from very serious conditions, such as cancer, kidney failure, heart attacks, and arterial blockages, without receiving appropriate medical care, due to deliberate delays that can last for years.
The Center said these practices constitute a clear violation of international conventions, particularly Article 92 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which requires regular medical examinations for detainees and ongoing monitoring of their health.
It called on international organizations, particularly the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières, to urgently intervene to provide necessary medical equipment and send specialised medical teams to assess prisoners’ conditions.
According to the Center, there are approximately 9,600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, including 83 women and 350 children, held across more than 27 prisons, detention centers, and interrogation facilities.
These figures represent an 83% increase in the number of prisoners since October 2023, marking one of the highest levels recorded in decades.
