RAMALLAH, Monday, February 01, 2021 (WAFA) – At least 17 Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Naqab prison were diagnosed with the coronavirus disease, today said the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).

PPS said that the new cases bring the overall positive corona cases among the Palestinian prisoners in Israel to over 350.

PPS called on competent authorities, led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to play an active role in monitoring the conditions of the infected prisoners, to enable prisoners to communicate with their families, and to pressure the Israeli occupation to allow the presence of a neutral medical team to supervise the prisoners' health.

The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Commission said in a statement issued on January 12th that the Israel Prisons Service (IPS) policy of disregard for the health and well-being of the prisoners, as well as the dismal conditions in the prisons, are ground for the spread of the pandemic and other diseases that could lead to the death of prisoners.

The Palestinian Authority and human rights groups have condemned official Israeli decisions not to inoculate the Palestinian prisoners for the time being. Israel has so far inoculated over 2 million of its population against coronavirus, including prison guards.

T.R.