Ramallah: Palestinian prisoners institutions have reported a significant increase in arrests in the West Bank, with numbers now exceeding 19,000 since the onset of the conflict, including over 590 women and 1,550 children. This figure includes those detained by the occupation authorities and later released but does not account for detainees from Gaza, estimated to be in the thousands.
According to Union of OIC News Agencies, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners Club, and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association have highlighted the systematic issues surrounding these arrests. Notably, 540 arrests were recorded in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, during August 2025, involving 49 children and 19 women. The institutions have emphasized the high rejection rate—approximately 90%—of appeals against administrative detention orders in occupation courts, underscoring the courts' role in perpetuating these conditions through biased trials influenced by intelligence services.
Testimonies from prisoners have revealed a worsening health crisis, characterized by disease spread, severe weight loss due to starvation, and the use of scabies as a method of torture. Reports indicate a worrying spread in Ofer Prison and potential resurgence in Negev Prison, with new health issues emerging as a result.
The occupation authorities have continued their repressive measures against prisoners, employing various weapons, including electric shocks and rubber bullets. These measures extend to women and children, with documented cases of large-scale repression in August involving degrading treatments such as shackling, forced kneeling, strip searches, and tear gas. Attacks on sick prisoners in the Ramla Clinic prison have also been reported, contributing to fatalities post-conflict.
In August 2025, administrative detainee Ahmed Saeed Tazazaa from Jenin died, and Musab Abdel Moneim Al-Eida from Hebron succumbed to injuries after being shot. There were also direct threats made to Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, with a noted incident involving the fascist Minister Ben Gvir storming his cell, perceived as an assassination threat against Barghouti and other Palestinian leaders.
The plight of Gaza detainees remains a pressing issue, with institutions documenting severe abuse and torture in Israeli prisons, particularly in the Ramla prison's Rakefet section. The continued detention of 85 martyrs' bodies and the practice of enforced disappearances further highlight the ongoing human rights violations.
By early September 2025, the number of prisoners and detainees in Israeli occupation prisons had surpassed 11,100, primarily administrative detainees. This count excludes those held in Israeli military camps. Female prisoners number 53, with more than 400 children and 3,577 administrative detainees, reflecting the highest percentage relative to other classifications. Notably, the illegal combatant classification includes 2,662 detainees, encompassing individuals from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.