RAMALLAH: The head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir), has accused Israeli authorities of holding 35 Palestinian women in its jails and subjecting them to harsh living conditions.
Qaddoura Faris, who is also the former Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees, said in a statement on Monday that the women are detained in jails built in a period dating back to the British Mandate era (1922-1948), which lack modern infrastructure or gender-sensitive health care. Humid, unhygienic, deprived of natural sunlight and overcrowded, he said these facilities have been designed for men and rarely do they meet women’s needs.
He added that while interrogated, the female prisoners are often subjected to cruel treatment such as humiliation, intimidation, verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, prolonged shackling in painful positions, isolation in cells and beatings. Faris said that psychological pressure is the most preferred technique used on Palestinian women by Israeli interrogators.
Threats of house demolition, arrests of family members, coercion, rape or other forms of sexual abuse and harassment are commonplace.
Faris added that due to insufficient and poor quality nutrition, the women suffer weight loss and thinning hair, general weakness, anemia and iron deficiency. Their diet is not changed when they fall ill, are pregnant or breast-feeding. He added the prisoners’ menstrual cycles are unbalanced through lack of appropriate nutrition, isolation and the Israeli interrogators’ application of huge mental pressure.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces operating in West Bank cities arrested four Palestinians, Israeli and Palestinian security sources said. The Palestinian sources told Arab News that the civilians were arrested in the governorates of Jenin, Ramallah and Hebron.
Israeli soldiers assaulted the detainees and their families before arresting them, they added.
Israeli sources told the Army Radio that the arrested were transferred to security forces for questioning.
The developments came as media reports over the last few weeks have predicted an imminent deal between Israel and Hamas, where abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli ministers convened Monday morning for the fourth time for discussions with Hamas.
Shalit’s mother Aviva on Monday urged negotiating ministers to remember that their vote would either sentence her son to life or death. “This is a difficult day, but I hope it will end with more encouraging news,” she told Army Radio.
Hamas and Israel have been holding indirect talks through Germany and Egypt to finalize the swap deal that involves around 1,000 prisoners for Shalit.
Hamas has also submitted a list of 450 detainees and demanded Israel release them even though the government considers them a threat to its security.
