Sanaa: Israel: Israel's prison authorities have turned the use of rubber bullets against Palestinian prisoners into a 'systematic punitive policy' in recent months, leaving dozens injured, including some with life-threatening wounds, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society said Monday. The advocacy group said in a statement that Palestinian prisoner rights organizations have documented dozens of cases in which inmates were shot with rubber bullets inside Israeli prisons. The actual number is likely higher due to strict restrictions on prison visits and isolation imposed by Israeli authorities, which have hampered efforts to document all violations, the group added.

According to Anadolu Agency, a number of prisoners suffered severe bleeding from their limbs and other sensitive parts of their bodies, while some required surgery because of the seriousness of their injuries. The statement quoted one prisoner as saying doctors warned he could require the amputation of one of his limbs because of complications from his wounds. Most injured prisoners continue to require specialized medical care, while Israeli prison authorities are allegedly denying them treatment.

The Palestinian Prisoner's Society said prison administrations have expanded the use of force against inmates in recent months, introducing new weapons and methods to suppress them. It said prisoners' bodies had become 'a testing ground for tools of repression and violence,' particularly since Israel launched its genocide on Gaza in October 2023. The group added that Israeli prison authorities have publicized the introduction of some of these measures through Israeli media, describing the move as evidence of a policy 'aimed at intensifying abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.'

Violence within Israel's prison system has reached an 'unprecedented level,' with abuses extending beyond torture to include starvation, denial of medical care, prolonged solitary confinement and organized assaults as part of a policy intended to 'break prisoners physically and psychologically,' the rights group added. The advocacy group also warned that the repeated use of rubber bullets has caused lasting psychological trauma in addition to physical injuries.

It renewed its call on the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international bodies to take urgent action to stop violations against Palestinian prisoners and hold Israeli officials accountable. The group said that the practices constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Around 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children, are being held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions marked by starvation, torture and medical neglect, with dozens of detainees reportedly having died as a result, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.