Ramallah, November 27, 2025 (WAFA) – The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club, based on dozens of field visits carried out by legal teams during November 2025, revealed an unprecedented escalation in crimes of torture, abuse and starvation inside Israeli occupation prisons and camps, within the framework of what it described as “extended extermination” against detainees .
In a statement issued today, Thursday, the Commission and the Prisoners Club pointed to the continued use of electric shocks, the firing of rubber bullets, the denial of treatment, and the systematic harassment of sick and wounded prisoners, in addition to the outbreak of scabies in several prisons and the recording of hundreds of infections .
Legal teams were able to visit a number of Gaza detainees held in the underground “Rakeft” section of Ramla prison, where the teams relayed horrific testimonies about what the detainees were subjected to from the moment of arrest, during the investigation, and later while they were being held in this closed underground section .
As for the issue of female prisoners and children, the situation and conditions of detention were not much different. During November, numerous systematic acts of repression were recorded against them, and female prisoners and children were subjected to assaults of varying degrees. The female prisoners reported harsh and degrading details that reflected the policy of deprivation and denial practiced against them by the prison administration .
The prisons visited include: Negev, Ofer, Damon, Shatta, Megiddo, Gilboa, Ofer Camp (Gilad), Ganot Prison – formerly Ramon and Nafha – in addition to the Rekefet section in Ramla Prison .
The Commission and the Prisoners’ Club pointed out that this briefing comes at a time when the occupation is rapidly seeking to legislate a law to execute Palestinian prisoners, one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation it has attempted to impose throughout its history. Today, in the context of the ongoing war of extermination within prisons, and as part of a series of laws targeting the Palestinian presence, the occupation, which has carried out extrajudicial killings for decades through a range of policies, including the slow killing that has affected hundreds of prisoners and detainees, is working to legalize and officially legislate execution.
Camp Gilad and the Rakeft Division: Horrifying testimonies
Legal teams confirmed that the “Gilad” camp witnessed repeated electric shocks, forcing prisoners to sleep on hard iron beds, in addition to starvation and continuous insults .
In the underground “Rakeft” section of Ramla prison, institutions documented shocking testimonies from Gaza detainees about beatings, solitary confinement, denial of medical treatment, restrictions on prayer, and the provision of meals that are insufficient to sustain life .
Negev Prison: Torture continues and prisoners die
The Negev prison continued to record serious violations, including firing rubber bullets inside the rooms and the courtyard, preventing treatment, exacerbating scabies infections, in addition to starving prisoners and reducing food quantities despite the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to improve meals .
In addition, the scabies outbreak continues, which the prison system has turned into an additional tool of torture and abuse. Cases have increased significantly and can no longer be counted. Even prisoners whose legal team manages to obtain a decision to transfer them to the clinic for treatment are transferred by the prison administration only nominally, and are forced to sign papers stating that they have received treatment, while in reality they do not receive any medical care. Instead, they are subjected to abuse and humiliation during their transfer to the clinic .
Once again, the prisoners confirmed the continuation of systematic abuse during the “security check – count” process, where they are forced to kneel with their hands above their heads and then lower them. Each prisoner is also forced to sit in a small, designated area within the cell, and is subjected to beatings and abuse if they step outside of it .
The prisoners reported a recent crackdown triggered by the discovery of a plastic envelope in one of the cells. They were assaulted, beaten, and denied access to the prison yard. Their suffering has worsened with the onset of winter and the intensifying cold, especially at night, as the administration continues to deny them blankets and adequate clothing .
As for the crime of starvation, it is steadily escalating, with further reductions in the amount of food provided, even in meager rations. Despite the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling that the food provided to prisoners and detainees must be reviewed, the prison system has disregarded the decision entirely and has, in fact, increased the food rations.
Ofer Prison: Widespread scabies cases and escalating raids
During November, visits were made to dozens of prisoners in Ofer Prison, one of the most prominent prisons holding thousands of prisoners and detainees. According to numerous testimonies, scabies was a major topic of discussion, especially after its widespread outbreak, even in the section designated for child prisoners .
The briefing noted that despite the prison administration’s claim of providing treatment consisting of ointment and capsules, the reality is quite different. The tube of ointment distributed to dozens of prisoners is not a true cure, as each prisoner needs more than one tube to receive adequate treatment. Due to the spread of the disease and the formation of boils, the prisoners are no longer able to stand, move, or sleep .
The outbreak of the disease at this level is due to a series of measures taken by the prison system, most notably: depriving prisoners of sufficient clothing, depriving them of personal hygiene items, weakening their immunity as a result of the crime of starvation, not exposing them to air or sunlight, and continuing to isolate them in overcrowded cells .
In addition to the risk of disease outbreaks, the abuses continue; systematic repression and searches persist, during which rubber bullets are fired and police dogs are used. In November, one cell was raided after prison authorities discovered that prisoners possessed bags which they had used to block open windows due to the extreme cold.
Conditions of female prisoners in Damon prison
In Damon prison, more than 50 female prisoners are subjected to strip searches, medical neglect, and deprivation of basic necessities, including cancer patients. The female prisoners are also subjected to solitary confinement, psychological pressure, and are denied family visits .
Several female prisoners also spoke of the harsh and difficult conditions they endured during interrogation before being transferred to Damon Prison, where some were interrogated for over a month. The prisoners’ specific needs were among the most prominent issues they raised, including a severe shortage of sanitary pads and the need for a gynecologist to address numerous health problems exacerbated by the oppressive detention conditions and weakened immunity resulting from starvation.
In their testimonies, the female prisoners also described the severe psychological challenges they face under the oppressive conditions of solitary confinement, which is considered one of the most dangerous and impactful policies on their mental health. This burden is compounded by the continued denial of family visits, particularly for mothers who have been uprooted from their homes and separated from their children.
Statistical data
The number of prisoners and detainees in the occupation prisons until November 2025 reached more than 9,250 prisoners and detainees, including : 1,242 convicts, more than 50 female prisoners, 350 children, 3,368 administrative detainees, and 1,205 classified as “unlawful combatants,” while the number of martyrs of the prisoner movement since the beginning of the war of extermination has risen to more than 100 martyrs .
The Prisoners Authority and the Prisoners Club called on the international community to abide by the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on the illegality of the occupation, to conduct an international investigation into the crimes of torture and field executions, to reject the draft law on executing prisoners, to refer the crimes to the International Criminal Court, to impose sanctions on the occupation, and to enable international institutions, especially the Red Cross, to access prisons without restrictions .
—
About the Author
