Ramallah, June 1, 2026 (WAFA) – Palestinian prisoner Azmi Nader Abu Helil, 31, from the town of Dura in the Hebron governorate, who has been detained since January 2024, is facing serious health deterioration after suffering from scabies (scabies infection) for more than a year.
According to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) in a statement, Abu Helil first contracted the disease in April last year and showed symptoms during a visit to Ofer Prison in October, when his condition was already apparent.
The statement added that Abu Helil was previously hit by a rubber bullet after demanding medical treatment. A recent visit indicated that his condition has worsened, with visible symptoms including widespread skin lesions across his body.
In his testimony, Abu Helil said his health further declined about four months ago, as he began suffering from persistent abdominal pain and loss of balance. Despite repeated requests, he underwent blood tests but has not been informed of the results.
He also reported that although prison medical staff raised concerns that his symptoms could indicate cancer, no clear diagnosis has been provided, causing him severe psychological distress alongside his physical suffering. His lawyers’ requests for clarification and treatment have reportedly gone unanswered.
Abu Helil further stated that punitive measures and assaults against prisoners continue, alongside ongoing food deprivation policies and the spread of scabies among detainees.
The PPS said Abu Helil is among thousands of detainees infected with scabies inside Israeli prisons, where poor hygiene conditions, lack of cleaning supplies and disinfectants, limited access to showers, and insufficient clean clothing have contributed to the spread of skin diseases. Most prisoners reportedly have only one set of clothes and are forced to wash and dry them under inadequate conditions.
It added that prison authorities have largely ignored repeated calls for medical treatment, making the spread of epidemics and skin diseases one of the most prominent consequences of what it described as systematic abuse, which has intensified following the war in Gaza and has led to the deaths of several prisoners.
It also noted that legal efforts to compel prison authorities to provide treatment have achieved only limited and superficial results, with diseases continuing to spread in central prisons. The statement warned that continued neglect amounts to medical abuse and contributes to a broader pattern of systematic harm against detainees.
The PPS called on the World Health Organization and international human rights organizations to urgently intervene to stop what it described as systematic medical abuses against prisoners and to pressure authorities to ensure medical care and accountability.
K.T
