Tuesday, November 5

The administration of Damon Prison, where Palestinian female prisoners are held, has confiscated their hijabs, jilbabs, and niqabs, forcing them to wear only gray tracksuits without head coverings.

According to a statement from the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs on Tuesday, this policy was recently implemented following the appointment of a new prison director. The prisoners were informed that these "new rules" would be enforced continuously as a form of "retaliation for the events of October 7, 2023."

The Commission noted that the conditions for the 94 female prisoners in Israeli prisons have worsened dramatically. The latest measures represent an escalation, adding to a year-long campaign of retaliation against them.

According to testimonies from prisoners, collected during lawyer visits, their rooms are subjected to arbitrary searches daily, often at dawn. During these raids, the administration forces the women out of their rooms, holding them in the prison yard ("the fora") for over an hour while their belongings are searched.

Prison authorities also conduct invasive strip searches during these raids, confiscating even the simplest items, such as an empty plastic container the prisoners used as makeshift cups. They have also seized threads pulled from blankets, which the women used to make bracelets to pass the long hours.

The prisoners reported that they are unable to repair their torn clothing and have no other garments, particularly after the confiscation of their last needle. They only possess one summer outfit each, and the administration refuses to provide warmer or additional clothing. Each prisoner has just one towel, which is halved if a new detainee arrives, forcing them to share.

The women are also forced to borrow shoes from one another to go to the yard, clinic, or lawyer visits, as their shoes have been confiscated in what they describe as unjustified punitive measures.

The prisoners face a severe shortage of personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies for their rooms, as well as insufficient blankets, exacerbating their suffering as temperatures drop with the onset of winter. The cold nights and early mornings have caused many to fall ill.

The statement also highlighted that two weeks ago, the prison administration installed external light switches outside the prisoners’ rooms, removing internal controls. This change allows guards to control the lighting based on their whims.

According to the Commission's lawyer, who spoke to the prisoners during visits, the prison administration’s "starvation policy" has led to hormonal changes and other side effects in their bodies, persisting for months.

Source: Palestinian National Information Center - WAFA