52 Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons amid reported abuse: Rights group

RAMALLAH, PALESTINE / ISTANBUL

A Palestinian rights group said Thursday that Israeli authorities are currently holding 52 Palestinian women in detention, following a series of arrests carried out since the beginning of this year.

The Palestinian Prisoner Society said five women were detained during the first eight days of January, including a journalist and two former detainees, amid what it described as an intensified campaign targeting Palestinian women.

In a statement, the group said more than 650 Palestinian women have been arrested since Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza in October 2023, noting that detentions have increasingly involved harsh treatment and serious violations.

The organization said women detainees have been subjected to physical assaults, sexual abuse and degrading treatment, adding that minors were among those arrested and that detentions have taken place across the occupied Palestinian territories.

It accused Israeli authorities of detaining women as a means of pressuring male relatives to turn themselves in, describing the practice as a growing and dangerous tactic since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

According to the group, most arrests were linked to freedom of expression, including posts on social media platforms that Israeli authorities claim amount to incitement.

The statement said 16 Palestinian women are currently held under administrative detention, a measure that allows imprisonment without formal charges or trial based on undisclosed evidence.

The group said most female detainees are held at Damon Prison in northern Israel, where they face difficult conditions, including prolonged isolation, food deprivation, lack of medical care and repeated body searches.

It added that cases of harassment by prison guards had been documented, along with psychological pressure, threats, repeated cell raids and physical abuse.

The advocacy group said the treatment of women detainees violates international humanitarian law and called on international human rights organizations to take urgent action.

According to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, Israel currently holds more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, rights groups reported strict Israeli restrictions inside prisons and detention centers, while dozens of Palestinians, particularly from Gaza, have been arrested without official disclosure of their whereabouts or conditions of detention.