Pregnant Palestinian Women Imprisoned by the Israeli Occupation

May 14, 2025
Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS)

Ramallah, occupied Palestine - The Israeli occupation continues to imprison two Palestinian women who are both in their fifth month of pregnancy. They are being held in harsh and difficult conditions in Israel’s Damon prison. Like all other Palestinian political prisoners, the women are subject to systematic violations of their rights including deliberate starvation despite their sensitive condition. 

A recent visit by lawyers of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society to the two pregnant women revealed that they are suffering from a lack of specialized medical care and infrequent follow-up. The two women are: Reema Balawi, a 31-year-old mother of two who was arrested from her home in Tulkarem city in February 2025, and Zahra Kawazbeh, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was arrested at a military checkpoint in April 2025 near Jericho. Israeli military courts have extended their detention orders multiple times. A court session is scheduled for Balawi on June 15, 2025, and for Kawazbeh on May 18, 2025.

The two women, who are held under charges of “incitement”, suffer from serious health conditions in addition to the fact that they are pregnant. Balawi has a blood disorder (Thalassemia) and requires medical attention, while Kawazbeh suffers from neurological issues and also needs close medical monitoring. Their continued detention constitutes a compound crime. These women are also forcibly separated from their children, a form of suffering that has only worsened due to the occupation’s ongoing blanket ban on all family visits —causing severe psychological distress among the detainees.