New repressive measures in Ofer Prison and spread of skin diseases among prisoners

Palestinian human rights sources reported that the administration of the Israeli Ofer Prison has begun implementing a series of new and repressive measures against prisoners, which they described as humiliating and aimed at restricting them during their transfers to meet defense teams. The sources clarified that these new policies aim to isolate prisoners from the outside world and undermine the legal avenues pursued by lawyers to ensure the basic rights of detainees.

The new restrictions included reducing the time allocated for legal interviews to only a few minutes, which prevents the prisoner from adequately explaining their circumstances or providing their testimony. Prison authorities also installed surveillance cameras inside the meeting rooms, in a move considered a blatant violation of the privacy of communication between the prisoner and their lawyer, and a direct threat to the confidentiality of exchanged legal information.

On the health front, sources warned of a rapid deterioration in living conditions inside detention rooms, where a widespread resurgence of scabies (scabos) was observed among prisoners. This outbreak was accompanied by the appearance of severe emaciation and general weakness in the bodies of detainees, as a result of systematic starvation policies and deprivation of necessary medical care and essential medicines to combat the infection.

Concerned bodies issued urgent appeals to international institutions and human rights organizations for immediate intervention to stop these violations and pressure the occupation authorities to improve detention conditions. They affirmed that international silence regarding what is happening inside Ofer Prison and other prisons gives the green light for the continued abuse of prisoners who face harsh conditions that directly threaten their lives.

It is worth noting that the pace of Israeli violations has escalated unprecedentedly since October 2023, with more than 9,400 Palestinians currently behind bars, including hundreds of children and women. Human rights reports confirm that this period witnessed the martyrdom of dozens of prisoners as a result of systematic torture and deliberate medical neglect, which raises concerns about the fate of thousands of detainees in the absence of international oversight.

The new measures included reducing the duration of legal meetings to a few minutes, in addition to installing surveillance cameras inside the rooms designated for meetings.