Ramallah: A Palestinian commission has accused Israeli prison authorities of preventing detainees from observing fasting 'at the right time' during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees' Affairs released a statement on Saturday night alleging that authorities at the Ofer Prison in the West Bank city of Ramallah refuse to inform detainees about the times of dawn and sunset prayers, which are essential for starting and breaking their fast.

Khaled Mahajneh, a lawyer with the commission, told the official Voice of Palestine radio that prisoners are forced to observe Ramadan without suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and that iftar, the meal to break the fast, becomes a prolonged ordeal. He noted that Palestinian detainees at Gilboa Prison in northern Israel were not informed of the start of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic lunar calendar. Mahajneh recounted that one prisoner only learned of Ramadan's start while attending an Israeli court session.

"For more than two years, Palestinian detainees have been compelled to eat only food scraps for iftar," Mahajneh said. He further accused the occupation of attempting to erase the joy of Palestinian prisoners during religious occasions and causing distress to their families through the alleged abuse and mistreatment of their sons behind bars.

Currently, over 9,300 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, including 350 children. They reportedly face conditions involving torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which have resulted in the deaths of dozens, as reported by both Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.