Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention prefer death over jail brutality

Seven Palestinian detainees have attempted to kill themselves at Israel’s Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank due to the “brutality of jailers,” Palestinian authorities have said.

“Prisoners are subjected to beatings during arrest and in detention,” the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs said in a statement.

“If a prisoner is late for the count or late waking up at 4 am, he is beaten and abused,” it added.

The commission said the seven detainees had attempted to kill themselves due to the poor detention conditions and the brutality of the jailers.

'Starvation and medical neglect'

“As they are subjected to starvation and medical neglect, prisoners have come to prefer death and martyrdom to this miserable life,” it added.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the report.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces rounded up six more Palestinians, including two children, in military raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

The new arrests brought to 9,845 the number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 592 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.