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Scabies is spreading among Palestinian women imprisoned in Israeli jails, where detainees are being denied hygiene supplies and medical treatment, three Palestinian rights and prisoner groups said in a joint statement issued for Palestinian National Women's Day on 26 October.

The statement said at least 90 Palestinian women are held in Israeli prisons and interrogation centers, including 22 under "administrative detention", a measure that allows Israel to hold Palestinians without charge or trial.

Conditions worsened after the war in Gaza began

The joint statement was released by the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, the Damir Human Rights Foundation and the Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Commission, which is affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The groups said practices targeting detainees in Israeli prisons have escalated since Israel began its heavy assault on the Gaza Strip in 2023.

The violations against women prisoners go beyond deprivation of liberty, the groups said, adding that detainees are stripped of their rights, tortured and humiliated in ways that eliminate humane living conditions and damage human dignity. Documented testimonies from the women describe physical and psychological torture, starvation and blocked access to treatment.

The statement also recorded strip searches and harassment carried out by some female guards, along with rape threats and insults that degrade human dignity.

Scabies spreads as treatment is withheld

The conditions Palestinian women prisoners face have changed substantially since the attacks on Gaza began, with violations rising and ill-treatment methods escalating, the groups said. Scabies has spread in the prisons after the women were deprived of hygiene products and necessary treatment.

They attributed the spread of the disease to harsh detention conditions, an unsuitable environment and restricted access to personal hygiene items and medical care. The outbreak causes itching, pain and disturbances to sleep and movement, and some women have experienced contractions in their limbs.

The organizations accused the Israeli prison administration of "denying the disease is spreading and refusing to provide the necessary treatment."

Detentions documented across occupied territory

Human rights organizations have documented the detention of more than 810 Palestinian women in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem since October 2023, according to the statement. There are no precise figures for the number of women detained from the Gaza Strip.

The most recent detainee was identified as a young woman named Merah ez-Zeakik, who was detained today in Hebron.

Key takeaways

• Scabies is spreading among Palestinian women prisoners who lack hygiene supplies and treatment, the joint statement said.
• At least 90 Palestinian women are held in Israeli prisons and interrogation centers, including 22 in administrative detention.
• Rights groups documented more than 810 Palestinian women detained in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem since October 2023.
• The organizations accused the Israeli prison administration of denying the outbreak and refusing to provide treatment.