RAMALLAH, April 19, 2026 (WAFA) – The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said on Sunday that conditions inside the Israeli occupation's Etzion detention center have deteriorated to the worst level since the start of the war on Gaza, amid harsh living conditions and a significant decline in prisoners’ psychological state.

The statement followed a visit by a lawyer of the commission to the detention center, during which she insisted on conducting face-to-face meetings rather than relying on video calls, which detention authorities have used since the outbreak of the war.

She was able to meet five out of nine detainees, with the remaining visits to be completed later.

According to the lawyer, detainees reported that most of them have not been able to shower for more than a month due to a lack of hot water and basic hygiene supplies such as soap and towels. She also noted an escalation in raids carried out three times a week, involving cell searches accompanied by dogs, shouting and insults, and forcing detainees to kneel for long hours, with those unable to comply being beaten.

She added that detention authorities have also used tear gas inside yard areas, causing cases of suffocation and fainting, in addition to severe exhaustion due to food shortages. However, detainees said that what weighs most heavily on them is not the lack of food but the policy of humiliation and degradation.

The commission called for urgent intervention to improve detainees’ conditions and ensure they are treated in accordance with international humanitarian standards.

M.N