The Palestinian captive, Fadwa Hamadeh, has been in solitary confinement in the Israeli Al-Damun prison for 56 days amid harsh and difficult humanitarian conditions in a narrow and dark cell surrounded by a concrete wall, neither the sun nor the air enter it, its walls emit moisture and filthy odors, and in which there is no basic necessities and needs for life.

The suffering of the prisoner, Hamada, from Sur Baher, southeast of occupied Jerusalem began on 12 August 2016 when the Israeli forces arrested her from Bab al-Amud area on charges of attempting to carry out a stabbing attack. She was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 Israeli Shekels.

From the moment of her arrest, Hamada, who is a mother of five, did not escape the attacks and harsh punishments of the Israeli prison administration, as she was subjected to solitary confinement twice under the pretext of attacking an Israeli prisoner who tried to insult one of the female prisoners.

Last June, she was isolated for the first time for a period of 73 days in the prison of Jalamah, accompanied by the freed prisoner Jihan Hashima, and she was denied a visit for a long time.

Compelling circumstances

“My wife is living compelling human conditions due to her continued solitary confinement in Al-Damun prison for the 56th day in a row and being deprived of the most basic necessities and needs with the aim of breaking her will and determination,” Fdwa’s husband, Munther Hamada, told Safa.

"The prison administration imposed penalties on my wife, under the pretext that she confronted the same Israeli prisoner who deliberately provoked her again during a search operation inside the prison last November, and sprayed her with salt, which led to isolate her again and deny her the visit of her family and her lawyer," he added.

Solitary confinement is considered one of the harshest and most punitive policies pursued by the Israeli prison administration against detainees since 1967. It may reach for days, months, and years, as it aims to kill the prisoners physically, psychologically, and morally.

Hamadah explains that he was able to visit his wife only three months ago and after she was isolated, the prison administration prevented her from communicating with her family and lawyer.

However, two days ago, lawyer Heba Masalha was able to visit her for the first time and to discover the poor conditions of her isolation. Al-Damun prison administration promised the lawyer to end Fadwa’s isolation on Monday, but they withdrew their decision.

“The prison administration deprives the prisoner of many privileges and needs, including preventing the use of radio, television, and cantina, bringing books, and denying her access to her family since her isolation,” the lawyer told Safa.

The prisoner, Hamada, lacks the simplest matters of life, as she suffers from severe cold inside the cell and lack of clothes and blankets to protect her.

“Al-Damun prison promised yesterday to end her isolation, and the lawyer submitted a request to the official of the main prison authority to do so and we are waiting for an answer, noting that the punitive measures against the prisoner will end on 15 January,” the lawyer said.

At the beginning of her isolation, the female prisoners in Section (3) demanded the prison administration to return the captive Hamada to the department, but they refused.

Infringement of rights

Israeli authorities deliberately abuse the male and female prisoners inside prisons, and are fully aware of the sensitivity of the Palestinian female prisoners situation, according to the Committee for the Families of Jerusalemite Prisoners, Amjad Abu Asab.

Abu Asab told Safa that the prisoner, Hamada, was subjected to isolation more than once under the pretext that she confronted the female prisoners in the women's section of Sharon and Al-Dmun prisons.

Her continued isolation is considered a great injustice and an infringement of the most basic rights recognized by international and Israeli laws against detainees and the need to protect them.

What adds to the suffering of the isolation is the denial of family visits and the prevention of lawyers from meeting the male and female prisoners, which increases the desire of Israel to abuse and isolate them, in the absence of any news about them.

Prison administration were demanded to end the isolation of the Prisoner Hamada, but they insist on her continued isolation, and markets all illogical justifications for that.

About 37 prisoners in Al-Damun prison suffer from extremely harsh living and detention conditions, and demand of the improvement of their conditions. They previously submitted a set of demands to the prison administration, but they procrastinated in considering or implementing them.

Female prisoners are subjected to beatings, insults, intimidation, medical treatment ignorance, and basic life rights deny from the beginning of their detention.