Palestinian detainees held in Israel’s Megiddo Prison are facing worsening conditions marked by hunger, medical neglect, poor sanitation, and prolonged confinement.
Key Developments
- Palestinian detainees reportedly face severe food shortages and inadequate medical care.
- A lawyer documented deteriorating conditions during a visit to Megiddo Prison.
- Prisoners suffer from weight loss, limited access to hygiene, and prolonged confinement.
- Rights groups say more than 100 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since October 2023.
Palestinian detainees held at Israel’s Megiddo Prison are enduring worsening conditions characterized by hunger, medical neglect, poor sanitation, and prolonged confinement, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs.
In a statement released on Sunday, the commission said its lawyer documented what it described as “harsh” conditions during a visit to the prison, highlighting the deteriorating health of several detainees.
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Medical Neglect
The commission highlighted the case of Mohammed Sawafta, a 20-year-old Palestinian from Tubas in the occupied West Bank who has been detained since June 17, 2025.
According to the commission, Sawafta suffers from joint inflammation and viral infections affecting his stomach and eyes. Although he received treatment for an eye infection, he continues to require a walker due to his condition.
The commission said his case reflects broader concerns over inadequate medical care provided to Palestinian detainees.
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Hunger and Harsh Conditions
According to the report, detainees have lost significant weight because of insufficient food provided by prison authorities.
The commission also said prisoners are transferred while handcuffed, preventing them from signing legal documents or properly using telephones during meetings with their lawyers.
Prisoners reportedly have limited access to cleaning supplies and running water, with shower water available for only about one hour each day.
Detainees are also permitted outside their cells for no more than one hour daily, often at irregular times.
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Worsening Prison Conditions
Palestinian prisoners’ organizations say detainees in Israeli prisons continue to face starvation, medical neglect, physical assaults, solitary confinement, and severe shortages of hygiene supplies amid a widespread outbreak of scabies.
According to the organizations, more than 100 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since October 2023, with the identities of 91 announced by the end of June 2026.
Palestinian and Israeli rights groups estimate that approximately 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 94 women and more than 350 children.
(Anadolu, WAFA, PC)
