Shafaq News- Gaza

Israel is holding more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 children and 133 women, the Gaza-based Ministry of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs estimated on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons face “severe” violations, including systematic starvation, medical neglect, overcrowding, and isolation from the outside world, along with restrictions on legal visits.

Conditions inside Israeli prisons have reached a “humanitarian catastrophe,” the ministry warned, citing a sharp deterioration in prisoners’ health and denial of basic medical care. It called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and international organizations to take urgent action, including sending independent inspection missions, ensuring immediate medical care, restoring family visits, and holding those responsible accountable.

Israel has advanced a controversial law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians accused of deadly attacks, with executions to be carried out within 90 days, according to international reports. Thousands of Palestinian prisoners could be affected by the law, the ministry said, posing a “serious legal risk.”

The appeal comes ahead of Palestinian Prisoner Day, observed annually on April 17.

Read more: International day highlights conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails