Palestinian Prisoners’ Day: Torture and Ill-Treatment in Israeli Prisons
April 17th, 2024
On April 17th, Justice For All Canada observes Palestinian Prisoners' Day, an annual observance aimed at raising awareness about the harsh conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. As of April 2024, Israel holds a record number of over 9,300 Palestinians classified by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) as "security prisoners," marking an increase of more than 4,000 individuals since the war began. Among them are 3,661 administrative detainees held without charge or the possibility of trial. Since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have significantly escalated the torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
On April 17th, Justice For All Canada observes Palestinian Prisoners' Day, an annual observance aimed at raising awareness about the harsh conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. As of April 2024, Israel holds a record number of over 9,300 Palestinians classified by the Israel Prison Service (IPS) as "security prisoners," marking an increase of more than 4,000 individuals since the war began. Among them are 3,661 administrative detainees held without charge or the possibility of trial. Since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, Israeli authorities have significantly escalated the torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees and prisoners.
Walid Daqqa Dies in Israeli Prison
Milad Daqqa (center) at a demonstration demanding her father’s release from prison.
Since October 7, 2023, fourteen Palestinian prisoners have tragically lost their lives while in Israeli prisons. Among them was Walid Daqqa, the longest-serving Palestinian citizen of Israel, who had been incarcerated for 38 years. Despite being slated to complete his sentence in March 2025, Daqqa succumbed to cancer on April 7, 2024, following prolonged medical neglect during his time in Israeli custody. Throughout his imprisonment, Daqqa authored several books documenting his experiences and advocating for justice for his fellow prisoners and the Palestinian people at large.
Following Walid Daqqa's passing, his family is facing further distress as they are being denied the opportunity to mourn his loss with dignity. Currently, Israeli prison authorities have refused to release Daqqa's body for burial. The non-profit organization Adalah is challenging this decision before the Israeli Supreme Court. Additionally, Israeli police forcefully entered the mourning tent erected by his family in Baqa Al-Gharbiya, where they proceeded to arrest family members and mourners. Adalah has taken action by sending a letter to the Israeli police on April 8, denouncing the dismantling of the tent as an aggressive and illegal act, and demanding an immediate halt to such practices to uphold the family's right to mourn peacefully.
Following Walid Daqqa's passing, his family is facing further distress as they are being denied the opportunity to mourn his loss with dignity. Currently, Israeli prison authorities have refused to release Daqqa's body for burial. The non-profit organization Adalah is challenging this decision before the Israeli Supreme Court. Additionally, Israeli police forcefully entered the mourning tent erected by his family in Baqa Al-Gharbiya, where they proceeded to arrest family members and mourners. Adalah has taken action by sending a letter to the Israeli police on April 8, denouncing the dismantling of the tent as an aggressive and illegal act, and demanding an immediate halt to such practices to uphold the family's right to mourn peacefully.
The alarming rise in the number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees who have died while in Israeli custody, along with initial evidence surrounding these deaths, suggests that abuse and mistreatment by IPS personnel may have played a role in several of these tragic cases.
Torture, Ill-Treatment and Collective Punishment of Palestinian Prisoners
Palestinian detainees have recounted systematic mistreatment in Israeli jails by guards, including forced kneeling, lack of necessities, and torture.
The accounts provided by Palestinian prisoners and detainees detained in Israeli prisons expose grave violations of the absolute prohibition against torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment by IPS authorities. These violations include physical assaults resulting in serious injuries, sexual harassment and intimidation directed at both male and female detainees, as well as various other humiliating acts and threats. Furthermore, these actions amount to collective punishment and clearly violate domestic and international legal standards.
Ahmad Khalifa, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and a human rights defender, represented by Adalah, was arrested in mid-October 2023 for his involvement in an anti-war protest in Umm al-Fahem. He spent four months detained at Megiddo Prison, where three Palestinians in custody have tragically died. During a court hearing, Khalifa recounted details about another prisoner's experience;
He was in a cell next to mine... They took him and said that he had quarrelled with a warden and was beaten. Next to me is a punishment cell. They put him there. He was shouting from Thursday to Saturday that his stomach was hurting, and they would hush him. ..The prisoner held it in, but on Saturday, he continued crying out that his stomach and intestines were hurting. I can still hear his voice. Then they took him. I thought, I had some faith, that they were taking him to be treated. But the guards put him in a separate cell, and he died that night.”
Ahmad Khalifa, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and a human rights defender, represented by Adalah, was arrested in mid-October 2023 for his involvement in an anti-war protest in Umm al-Fahem. He spent four months detained at Megiddo Prison, where three Palestinians in custody have tragically died. During a court hearing, Khalifa recounted details about another prisoner's experience;
He was in a cell next to mine... They took him and said that he had quarrelled with a warden and was beaten. Next to me is a punishment cell. They put him there. He was shouting from Thursday to Saturday that his stomach was hurting, and they would hush him. ..The prisoner held it in, but on Saturday, he continued crying out that his stomach and intestines were hurting. I can still hear his voice. Then they took him. I thought, I had some faith, that they were taking him to be treated. But the guards put him in a separate cell, and he died that night.”
Palestinians from Gaza Held in Israeli Military Camps
Over 6,300 Palestinians have been detained in the West Bank since the start of the Israeli siege against Gaza on October 7th, 2023
Based on IPS data, 849 Palestinian residents from Gaza are classified as "unlawful combatants" according to Israeli law and are currently held in Israeli prisons. However, Al Mezan's firsthand documentation and available information suggest a higher figure, estimating that approximately 1,650 Palestinian residents of Gaza are interned in Israeli prisons under this law.
As per the Israeli army's report dated 9 January 2024, approximately 2,300 Palestinians have undergone interrogation by the military since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Among these individuals, some have been detained for "further questioning" in Israel. However, the army has not disclosed specific figures regarding the current detainees held in military camps, particularly at the "Sede Teiman" base located in southern Israel.
An amendment to the Unlawful Combatants Law, enacted as a temporary order on 18 December 2023, grants the military authority to detain individuals without a warrant for up to 45 days, postpone their initial court hearing for up to 75 days, and restrict access to legal counsel for up to 180 days. Consequently, this amendment effectively places these individuals incommunicado, as the military deliberately withholds information about their identity and denies external visitors, including the ICRC, access to them. Following Israel's prolonged refusal to disclose information, Adalah and partner human rights organizations petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court on 19 February 2024, seeking the repeal of the amendment.
As of now, the state has not issued a response to this petition.
As per the Israeli army's report dated 9 January 2024, approximately 2,300 Palestinians have undergone interrogation by the military since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Among these individuals, some have been detained for "further questioning" in Israel. However, the army has not disclosed specific figures regarding the current detainees held in military camps, particularly at the "Sede Teiman" base located in southern Israel.
An amendment to the Unlawful Combatants Law, enacted as a temporary order on 18 December 2023, grants the military authority to detain individuals without a warrant for up to 45 days, postpone their initial court hearing for up to 75 days, and restrict access to legal counsel for up to 180 days. Consequently, this amendment effectively places these individuals incommunicado, as the military deliberately withholds information about their identity and denies external visitors, including the ICRC, access to them. Following Israel's prolonged refusal to disclose information, Adalah and partner human rights organizations petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court on 19 February 2024, seeking the repeal of the amendment.
As of now, the state has not issued a response to this petition.