Israeli Occupation Uses Prisoner Transfers to Spread Disease Among Palestinian Detainees

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society 

April 28, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – Israeli occupation prison authorities are deliberately transferring sick Palestinian political detainees between different prisons and cells in order to spread infectious diseases among the prison population, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Monday. This inhumane practice has significantly worsened the ongoing health crisis affecting thousands of prisoners — particularly due to the outbreak of scabies skin disease, which has been a major factor in the martyrdom of several prisoners recently.

Occupation authorities recently transferred a group of sick prisoners from Megiddo prison in the north of the country, to the Naqab (Negev) prison in the far south. According to detainees’ testimonies, those transferred from Megiddo prison were suffering from a contagious disease and were not provided any medical diagnosis. 

As a result, prisoners in Naqab prison were infected and began exhibiting symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, extreme fatigue, in addition to contracting scabies — all of which poses a severe and escalating danger to their lives.

This occurs amid the complete denial of access of basic hygienic supplies, which should be a basic human right. All prisoners are allowed only one set of clothes, as the prison authorities continue to ban the entry of clothing. Moreover, there is no ventilation, no exposure to sunlight, extreme overcrowding in cells, and overall weakened immune systems among the detainees due to the phenomenon and crime of starvation brought about by the inadequate amounts of food provided. Many prisoners also suffer from chronic illnesses.

Testimonies gathered during dozens of visits to various prisons indicate that deteriorating health conditions have become the most pressing concern among detainees. Prisoner advocacy organizations have also documented alarming signs, including widespread skin boils and bleeding caused by relentless itching, which deprives prisoners of sleep and inflicts constant pain — effectively turning illness into a form of round-the-clock torture. Some inmates have reportedly become immobile, while others have suffered gangrene in parts of their bodies. According to these testimonies, many have endured the disease for months, and some who had previously recovered, have been reinfected.

Notably, the largest scabies outbreaks have been concentrated in the Naqab and Megiddo prisons — two of the largest detention centers holding thousands of Palestinian political prisoners. 

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reaffirms that the deterioration of health conditions inside the prisons is intentional as an effort by the Israeli occupation to kill as many detainees as possible. Alongside the severe violations including torture and severe physical assault, these conditions will inevitably lead to the killing of more detainees as time passes, if nothing is done to stop it. 

As of early April 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners in occupation prisons has surpassed 9,900 people.

Israeli Occupation Uses Prisoner Transfers to Spread Disease Among Palestinian Detainees

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society 

April 28, 2025

Ramallah, Palestine – Israeli occupation prison authorities are deliberately transferring sick Palestinian political detainees between different prisons and cells in order to spread infectious diseases among the prison population, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said on Monday. This inhumane practice has significantly worsened the ongoing health crisis affecting thousands of prisoners — particularly due to the outbreak of scabies skin disease, which has been a major factor in the martyrdom of several prisoners recently.

Occupation authorities recently transferred a group of sick prisoners from Megiddo prison in the north of the country, to the Naqab (Negev) prison in the far south. According to detainees’ testimonies, those transferred from Megiddo prison were suffering from a contagious disease and were not provided any medical diagnosis. 

As a result, prisoners in Naqab prison were infected and began exhibiting symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, extreme fatigue, in addition to contracting scabies — all of which poses a severe and escalating danger to their lives.

This occurs amid the complete denial of access of basic hygienic supplies, which should be a basic human right. All prisoners are allowed only one set of clothes, as the prison authorities continue to ban the entry of clothing. Moreover, there is no ventilation, no exposure to sunlight, extreme overcrowding in cells, and overall weakened immune systems among the detainees due to the phenomenon and crime of starvation brought about by the inadequate amounts of food provided. Many prisoners also suffer from chronic illnesses.

Testimonies gathered during dozens of visits to various prisons indicate that deteriorating health conditions have become the most pressing concern among detainees. Prisoner advocacy organizations have also documented alarming signs, including widespread skin boils and bleeding caused by relentless itching, which deprives prisoners of sleep and inflicts constant pain — effectively turning illness into a form of round-the-clock torture. Some inmates have reportedly become immobile, while others have suffered gangrene in parts of their bodies. According to these testimonies, many have endured the disease for months, and some who had previously recovered, have been reinfected.

Notably, the largest scabies outbreaks have been concentrated in the Naqab and Megiddo prisons — two of the largest detention centers holding thousands of Palestinian political prisoners. 

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reaffirms that the deterioration of health conditions inside the prisons is intentional as an effort by the Israeli occupation to kill as many detainees as possible. Alongside the severe violations including torture and severe physical assault, these conditions will inevitably lead to the killing of more detainees as time passes, if nothing is done to stop it. 

As of early April 2025, the number of Palestinian political prisoners in occupation prisons has surpassed 9,900 people.