SAFA — Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons have been subjected to forced removal of their headscarves, beatings, solitary confinement, and attacks involving tear gas and pepper spray, leaving several detainees suffering from serious health complications, including a pregnant woman who required medical attention, according to the Prisoners' Media Office.

The organization documented a series of assaults on October 7 and 8, during which Israeli prison guards allegedly forced women to uncover their hair, lie face down on the floor, and endure exposure to chemical irritants inside detention cells and shower facilities.

Seventeen Palestinian women were confined to a cell for three hours and ordered to undo their braids, while another group of 15 detainees was exposed to pepper spray that caused vomiting and severe physical distress.

The Prisoners' Media Office condemned the treatment as an assault on the women's dignity, privacy, and physical safety, calling for urgent international intervention.

Women Forced to Remove Headscarves and Held in Isolation

According to the Prisoners' Media Office, an Israeli prison officer forced Palestinian women to remove their headscarves on October 7 so their hair could be inspected.

Following the inspections, 17 detainees were confined to cell number 13 for approximately three hours and ordered to undo their braided hair.

The organization described the forced exposure of the women's hair and the subsequent confinement as humiliating measures that violated their privacy and dignity.

The reported abuse was accompanied by additional assaults and restrictions inside the women's detention section.

Guards Beat Women and Return Them to Gas-Filled Cells

The Prisoners' Media Office said Israeli guards deployed tear gas and sound grenades in the detention section's courtyard, causing several women to experience breathing difficulties.

Guards then removed detainees from multiple cells and forced them to lie face down on the floor for approximately one hour.

According to the organization, the women were subsequently returned to cells that remained filled with gas.

The office also documented a separate raid on cell number 9, during which guards beat detainees on their legs.

The reported assaults raised serious concerns about the health and safety of women exposed to chemical irritants in confined spaces, particularly those with existing medical conditions.

Pepper-Spray Attack Leaves Women Vomiting and Unable to Walk

On October 8, Israeli prison guards sprayed large quantities of pepper spray inside a room holding 15 Palestinian women, according to the Prisoners' Media Office.

The effects spread to neighboring rooms, causing detainees to vomit and affecting older women held in the section.

One prisoner had to be carried by fellow detainees, while another was unable to walk.

The organization also reported that guards sprayed chemical irritants at women inside shower facilities.

Among those affected was a pregnant detainee whose health deteriorated significantly. She was transferred to a prison clinic for medical attention.

The office did not provide further details about her condition or the treatment she received.

87 Palestinian Women Held in Israeli Prisons

The reported assaults come amid growing concerns over the treatment of Palestinian women in Israeli detention facilities.

In an October 12 statement, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said Israel was holding 87 Palestinian women, including 21 under administrative detention orders.

Administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to imprison Palestinians without formal charges or trial, frequently on the basis of evidence withheld from detainees and their lawyers.

The organization also warned of continued isolation, mistreatment, inadequate medical treatment, and deteriorating health conditions among women prisoners, including the spread of scabies.

These conditions have intensified concerns about the safety of detainees who require regular medical care or face heightened health risks.

Journalist Bushra Al-Tawil Held in Isolation for Nearly 50 Days

Palestinian journalist Bushra Al-Tawil, 33, is among the women whose detention conditions have drawn alarm from prisoners' rights organizations.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, Al-Tawil had spent nearly 50 days in solitary confinement and faced repeated beatings, pepper-spray attacks, and degrading treatment.

Israeli authorities renewed her administrative detention for another four months on October 12, prolonging her imprisonment without charge or trial.

The PPS said repeated transfers between Israeli prisons had also obstructed legal visits and complicated efforts to monitor her health and detention conditions.

Rights organizations have called for an end to her isolation, access to appropriate medical treatment, and her release.

Calls for Urgent International Intervention

The Prisoners' Media Office called on international humanitarian and human rights organizations to intervene immediately to protect Palestinian women in Israeli custody.

It demanded an end to physical assaults, forced isolation, invasive inspections, and the use of tear gas and pepper spray against detainees.

The organization also urged independent monitoring of detention conditions and appropriate medical care for injured, pregnant, elderly, and sick prisoners.

International human rights law requires that people deprived of their liberty be treated humanely and protected from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

The reported assaults have renewed calls for accountability and independent scrutiny of conditions inside Israeli prisons.

For Palestinian women facing detention, isolation, and deteriorating health, prisoners' rights organizations warn that urgent action is needed to protect their safety, dignity, and fundamental rights.

Source : Safa News