Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention prefer death over jail brutality

Seven Palestinian detainees detained at Ofer Israeli military prison in the West Bank have claimed to have tried to commit suicide because of their situation in jail and the manner in which the guards treat them. 

 Considering the situation with detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs stated that prisoners suffer from ill-treatment and physical violence during their arrest and detention. ‘During arrest and in detention, it is. Base for prisoners to be beaten,’ the statement said. In most incidences, should a prisoner be late for the count or late waking up at 4 am, he is beaten and abused. 

 The commission concluded that detainees had tried to commit suicide due to the starvation-like situation and the cruel treatment meted out to them by the wardens. The detainees were possibly willing to be killed rather than continue to suffer the other deplorable conditions in prison. ‘They constantly suffer from starvation and medical negligence,’ the statement continued, ‘that is why prisoners prefer death and martyrdom to this dreadful existence.’ 

 The Israeli authorities have not reacted to these kinds of claims. 

 Therefore, in addition to the desperate state of the Palestinian detainees presented in the case of Ofer prison, Israeli forces continue to conduct military operations in the West Bank land. On Sunday, six more Palestinians, including two children reported by the Palestinian Prisoner Society, were detained. These arrests bring the total number of Palestinians rounded up by the Israeli army in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, to 9,845. 

 This violence has also lost many lives, and many more have been left severely injured. Palestinian Health Ministry records show that while at least 592 Palestinians died from the Israel army shooting, nearly 5,400 Palestinians were also wounded in the occupied territory since the beginning of the confrontation. 

 These suicide attempts in the Ofer prison are among the general ill-treatment and hard times that the Palestinian detainees have to endure in Israeli jails. These previous official reports and investigations stand as testimony to the accused negligence in arranging proper medical facilities, lack of nutrition, and even cases of physical abuse. 

 Cases of Palestinian detainees have been described as horrible around the world, and the folks responsible for this should be brought to justice. Human rights organizations have, from time to time, repeatedly urged Israel to address the situation in the country’s prisons and detention facilities. 

 This has been occasioned by the recent occurrences in the occupied West Bank, whereby detentions, as well as the use of excessive force on Palestinian people, have been on the rise. Such emerging threats have forced human rights organizations to provoke the international powers to apprehend Israel. 

 Such bleak severity articulated here is evident in the Ofer prison case, which suggests the need for international intervention. This is regarding the Palestinian detainees as the war continues; it is still a case of human rights abuse concerning their welfare that should be addressed continuously and definitely.