Haifa: Palestinian women detained in Israel's Damon Prison in Haifa face abuse, including beatings and the forcible removal of their headscarves, the Prisoners' Media Office said Monday. A statement by the office detailed incidents where prison guards forced the detained women into the yard, made them sit on the ground, removed their headscarves, and assaulted them.

According to Anadolu Agency, the abuse reportedly involved the use of dogs and stun grenades, actions described as a 'blatant violation of all humanitarian laws and norms.' Several detainees sustained injuries as a result of these assaults, which occurred on four separate occasions in December. The Prisoners' Media Office has held Israel fully responsible for the safety of the women detainees and warned of the risks associated with what they describe as a continued pattern of repression.

The office has urged human rights and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to stop what it described as escalating violations against women held at Damon Prison. More than 9,300 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons, where many reportedly face abuse, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations.

In addition to the abuses reported at Damon Prison, the Israeli army has reportedly killed nearly 71,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023. Military actions and illegal settlers have also led to the deaths of at least 1,102 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with nearly 11,000 others injured during the same period.