Washington: A Palestinian rights group said Thursday that Israeli authorities are currently holding 52 Palestinian women in detention, following a series of arrests carried out since the beginning of this year. The Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that five women were detained during the first eight days of January, including a journalist and two former detainees, amid what it described as an intensified campaign targeting Palestinian women.
According to Anadolu Agency - English, the group stated that more than 650 Palestinian women have been arrested since Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza in October 2023. The detentions reportedly involved harsh treatment and serious violations. Women detainees have allegedly been subjected to physical assaults, sexual abuse, and degrading treatment, with minors also among those arrested. These detentions have occurred across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The rights group accused Israeli authorities of using the detention of women as a means to pressure male relatives to surrender themselves, labeling this as a growing and dangerous tactic since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Most arrests were reportedly linked to freedom of expression, including social media posts that Israeli authorities claim amount to incitement.
The statement highlighted that 16 Palestinian women are currently held under administrative detention, allowing imprisonment without formal charges or trial based on undisclosed evidence. Most female detainees are reportedly held at Damon Prison in northern Israel, facing difficult conditions such as prolonged isolation, food deprivation, lack of medical care, and repeated body searches.
Additionally, the group documented cases of harassment by prison guards, psychological pressure, threats, repeated cell raids, and physical abuse. The advocacy group asserted that the treatment of women detainees violates international humanitarian law and urged international human rights organizations to take urgent action.
Palestinian and Israeli rights groups indicate that Israel currently holds more than 9,300 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children. Since the start of the war on Gaza, rights groups have reported strict Israeli restrictions inside prisons and detention centers, with dozens of Palestinians, particularly from Gaza, being arrested without official disclosure of their whereabouts or conditions of detention.