RAMALLAH, February 24, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) reported that Israel’s Ofer Prison is experiencing an intensification of repression, with Palestinian detainees subjected to starvation and deteriorating health conditions. The PPS also stated that Israeli forces have employed new types of weaponry during crackdowns, including devices capable of causing burns to the body.
The PPS published a special briefing outlining the most significant findings documented by its legal teams during visits conducted to dozens of detainees at Ofer Prison in January and February 2026, which once again confirmed the details of the current reality faced by the prisoners since the start of the Israeli genocide.
According to the PPS, the testimonies once again reflected a sustained escalation of systematic repression, including ongoing starvation, denial of medical treatment, and daily acts of humiliation and abuse. The accounts also highlighted severe overcrowding and the persistent spread of skin diseases, particularly scabies, which the briefing identified as a key factor in physically and psychologically wearing down detainees by perpetuating the conditions that allow it to thrive.
Based on the testimonies obtained, it was affirmed that the prison system constitutes one of the primary institutions enforcing the conditions of extermination within the prisons, turning them into a central arena for the physical and psychological destruction of detainees.
PPS noted that thousands of detainees are currently suffering from varying degrees of physical and psychological health problems as a result of the continuous abuse they endure.
It stated that all detainees who were visited at Ofer Prison confirmed that repressive measures have become a daily routine, particularly during headcounts and security inspections, which the prisoners described as recurring instances of abuse and mistreatment.
The widespread outbreak of scabies, coupled with denial of medical care and food deprivation, has further exacerbated their suffering, stated PPS.
In Ofer Prison, as in other detention facilities, a significant increase in the number of sick prisoners has been observed, resulting from harsh detention conditions, the lack of basic sanitary standards in the cells, and persistent hunger, which have weakened detainees’ immune systems and made them vulnerable to a range of illnesses.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society renewed its call for urgent international intervention to halt the ongoing genocide inside Israeli prisons.
It called on international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to be granted access to visit detainees and assess their conditions of confinement, to allow family visits, to impose clear sanctions on the occupying authorities and their leaders, and to end the long-standing policy of impunity that has enabled Israel to continue committing violations in full view of the world.
T.R.
