Ramallah: Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raided the cells of Palestinian prisoners at Ofer Prison west of Ramallah on Friday. Video footage released by Israeli media depicted assaults and the harsh suppression of prisoners, including the deployment of gas and stun grenades, the brandishing of weapons toward inmates, and the forcible removal and mistreatment of certain prisoners in the prison yard.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Ben-Gvir threatened prisoners against undertaking any actions during the month of Ramadan, openly boasting about the changes he has made to prison conditions since taking office and warning of potential executions. He asserted that the prisons have become real prisons, not hotels. 'This is not a luxury hotel. It is a real prison,' Ben-Gvir said.
Previous reports by the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs indicate that prisoners in Ofer suffer from a marked deterioration in health conditions due to ongoing medical neglect, a severe shortage of essential medications, lack of medical follow-up, and acute scarcity of clothing and bedding. They also face continuous deprivation of family visits and repeated, sudden transfers between sections and prisons.
