7 more Palestinians catch COVID-19 in Israeli prisons

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Seven more Palestinian inmates tested positive for coronavirus in Israeli prisons, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the NGO said that the new infections were reported in the 4th section of Rimon Prison, southern Israel, where at least 90 prisoners are held.

The seven prisoners were among 21 others from the section who had been tested for COVID-19. The rest of the prisoners are waiting for their test results.

Fida Najada, a researcher at the PPS, told Anadolu Agency that the total number of infections among Palestinian inmates has risen to 199 since March 2020.

The PPS said that 43 of the prisoners in the same prison suffer from various diseases and at least four of them are aged above 60.

The NGO held the Israeli occupation responsible "for the lives of the prisoners".

Notably, Israel’s Public Security Minister Amir Ohana refuses to give coronavirus vaccine to Palestinian prisoners, which Palestinian organizations call "racism".

According to Palestinian estimates, there are 4,400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 41 women, 170 children, and around 380 people held under Israel’s administrative detention policy, which allows the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara