SAFA- The Prisoners' Media Office, has reported a significant escalation in the use of solitary confinement against Palestinian women detainees held in Israel's Damoun Prison, describing the practice as a systematic punitive policy carried out without legal justification.

The office said that in recent months Israeli prison authorities have been increasingly resorting to extended and repeated solitary confinement, warning that the measure poses serious risks to the psychological and physical health of the detainees and is part of a broader pattern of abuse that has escalated since 7 October 2023.

Based on legal follow-up and testimonies from the families of current and former detainees, the report said prison authorities isolate three to four women prisoners almost every week, frequently rotating those placed in solitary confinement without informing them or their families of the reasons. 

The office highlighted that the policy has been carried out under strict secrecy, compounded by the suspension of visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and ongoing restrictions on lawyers' access to detainees.

Harsh Detention Conditions

The report said the solitary confinement policy comes on top of already harsh detention conditions inside Damoun Prison.

The testimonies revealed that women detainees are kept in cells with dampness, insects, poor lighting, and inadequate ventilation. The report also cited policies of food deprivation, medical neglect, and disciplinary measures imposed for minor reasons, including reading the Quran or possessing a spoon.

The office highlighted the case of Aya Hatem Fuqaha, 34, from Tulkarm, as an example of the reported abuses.

Fuqaha has been held in solitary confinement since her arrest in February, the report said. She is still being held in pretrial detention and is scheduled to appear before court in August. The office noted that prolonged isolation, combined with food deprivation and punitive measures, has left her severely emaciated.

The report also cited the case of Shatila Abu Ayada, 33, from Kafr Qasim, who is the longest-serving Palestinian woman detainee in Damoun Prison and is serving a 16-year prison sentence.

It said Abu Ayada has also been subjected to solitary confinement and continues to face the threat of being returned to isolation. According to the report, she suffers from significantly elevated liver enzyme levels but has not received the medical care she requires.

In a related incident, testimonies cited in the report said Israeli prison suppression units assaulted Palestinian writer and detainee Lama Khater and several fellow prisoners after claiming that Qurans were being kept inside their prison room.

The office said the incident illustrates how disciplinary measures have expanded to encompass nearly every aspect of detainees' daily lives.

Calls for International Intervention

The Prisoners' Media Office said the reported conditions in Damoun Prison, particularly the repeated use of solitary confinement, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and standards established by the UN Committee Against Torture, which considers prolonged solitary confinement to be cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment that may amount to torture.

The office called on international organizations to intervene urgently to halt escalating violations against Palestinian women detainees and to ensure compliance with international legal protections governing the treatment of prisoners.