A Gaza-based prisoner’s rights group has raised alarm over unsafe conditions for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel’s Ktziot prison, located in the Negev desert region, amid a scorching heat wave sweeping across the region.
The conditions in Israel’s Negev prisons are notoriously harsh, and prisoners have long complained of stifling heat, insects, and poor living conditions there, amid a deliberate policy of medical neglect at the hands of Israeli authorities and other forms of mistreatment.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Centre for Studies said in a statement Monday that prisoners have been prevented from leaving their cells since the beginning of the heat wave this week, and said that the prisoners feared for their health.
The silence of the international community is deafening and shameful. As a heatwave hits historic Palestine, Gaza has almost no electricity. https://t.co/ZmChWOJleB
— Kamel Hawwash (@kamelhawwash) July 3, 2017
The spokesman for the center, Riyad al-Ashqar, said that there it was very likely that prisoners would begin fainting and suffering from sunstrokes amid lack of adequate medical treatment and supplies at the remotely located prison.
Al-Ashqar said that during this type of weather, snakes, insects, and reptiles were able to easily reach prison’ cells and tents, which can endanger lives of detainees, highlighting that many so-called security prisoners were prevented from possessing items such as insect repellent.
He said that the temperature has reached 40 degrees Celsius over the past two days, further adding to the harsh conditions and repressive measures Palestinian political prisoners already face.
(Maan, PC, Social Media)
