Ramallah – The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club stated that the number of female prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons has reached 94 (whose identities are known), most of whom are in Damon Prison. This number was recorded at the beginning of the war with the arrest of dozens of female prisoners from Gaza at that time and their transfer to Damon Prison. Today, three female prisoners from Gaza remain in Damon Prison, among them a mother and her daughter.

The Commission and the Club added that this figure does not include all female prisoners from Gaza, specifically those detained inside camps belonging to the occupation army. The occupation authorities continue to carry out the crime of enforced disappearance against them.

In a joint report issued today, Monday, on the situation of female prisoners in occupation prisons after more than 345 days since the genocide war, the Commission and the Club stated: The detention conditions of the female prisoners have undergone significant transformations, as have all detention conditions in the occupation's prisons and camps. This follows a series of systematic measures, policies, and crimes imposed by the prison system on all male and female prisoners since the start of the genocide war. The most prominent of these were crimes of torture, starvation, medical negligence, along with systematic abuse operations—specifically their individual and collective isolation, strip searches (a form of sexual assault), especially during their detention in Hasharon Prison, which is the harshest stage at the beginning of detention, and turning their special needs into tools of abuse by depriving them.

Based on recent visits to Damon Prison, several cases and issues have emerged that reflect the level of violations and crimes committed against them, which are part of a series of serious and unprecedented violations since the start of the war.

 Continued Isolation of Legal Prisoner Khalida Jarrar for Over a Month in Neve Tirtza Prison Isolation:

The Israeli prison administration continues to isolate legal prisoner and activist Khalida Jarrar in solitary confinement at Neve Tirtza Prison under very harsh and difficult conditions that infringe on her most basic human rights. Her compounded suffering is renewed with the extension of her isolation order.

According to a recent visit to Jarrar, she noted that the prison administration informed her that her current isolation would continue until September 27, without specifying the exact duration of her solitary confinement.

Throughout her isolation, the administration deliberately cut off water three times; on one occasion, she remained without water for two days. Additionally, guards intentionally delayed her meals, despite her health issues requiring special food. The administration procrastinates in responding to her request to bring her essential belongings from Damon Prison and keeps the cell lights on 24 hours a day, causing her to lose track of time.

 Occupation Continues to Detain Prisoner Jihad Dar Nakhla, Mother of Four and Eight Months Pregnant:

The occupation authorities continue to detain Jihad Dar Nakhla from Al-Jalazone Refugee Camp in Ramallah since April 26, 2024, on charges of "incitement." At the time of her arrest, she was three months pregnant and is a mother of four children, the youngest being a four-year-old girl. She suffers from anemia, according to medical reports prior to her arrest, and requires special nutrition and enhanced healthcare.

The Commission and the Club mentioned that Dar Nakhla is facing a difficult situation inside Damon Prison. Despite efforts by institutions to secure her release, the occupation insists on detaining her. Notably, Jihad has four other brothers detained in occupation prisons.

Prisoner Facing Severe Psychological Condition—Occupation Insists on Detaining and Isolating Her:

Prisoner (A.Y.) was arrested at the beginning of this year amid rising arrest campaigns. She suffers from chronic depression and requires special care and continuous monitoring. Despite medical reports proving her severe psychological condition, the occupation continues to detain her and has exacerbated her situation by isolating her, significantly worsening her mental state. The Commission and the Club noted that (A.Y.) is not the only prisoner suffering from severe psychological and health issues requiring special treatment. Several prisoners face difficult health conditions needing special care, including (Y.B.), who suffers from muscle atrophy and constantly needs assistance from other prisoners. She also has severe intestinal problems requiring a specific diet, and unsuitable food has led to significant weight loss.

Overcrowding Intensifies Suffering of Female Prisoners:

Overcrowding is a prominent issue exacerbating the suffering of prisoners, especially with the escalation of mass arrests affecting thousands after October 7, targeting all groups, including women. The number of female prisoners has risen unprecedentedly compared to the period before the war; from 40 female prisoners before October 7 to 94 today, following the recent release of Tahani Al-Khawaja from Ramallah and Fatima Bisharat from Tubas.

Cells designed for six prisoners now hold at least ten, with many sleeping on the floor. Movement inside the cell is difficult and nearly impossible. Even during yard time ("fora"), all 25 prisoners are taken out together, and shower time is only available during this period.

Occupation Detains 23 Female Administrative Detainees; Majority Arrested on Alleged Incitement Charges:

The occupation authorities detain 23 female administrative detainees, including students—the highest targeted group after the war—with most arrested administratively. The latest were three students from Hebron Governorate transferred to administrative detention. The occupation continues to detain the majority of female prisoners on alleged "incitement" charges, effectively another form of administrative detention. Arrests for "incitement" via media and social platforms have intensified, turning tools of free expression into means of repression. The occupation deliberately keeps the definitions of "incitement" vague and unspecified.

Among those detained in Damon Prison are students, lawyers, journalists, activists, former prisoners, and mothers—including a martyr's mother, mothers of prisoners and released prisoners, and sisters of martyrs and detainees.

In light of ongoing reports reflecting the harsh detention conditions and systematic crimes enforced by the prison system through political decisions against prisoners—unprecedented since the war's start—we renew our call to human rights organizations to overcome their paralysis, which becomes more significant with the ongoing genocide war. The risks multiply for all humanity and the humanitarian role entrusted to them. We affirm that the testimonies and affidavits documented by human rights institutions from prisoners and detainees, revealing crimes including war crimes, represent facets of the ongoing genocide war to this day.