Israeli occupation authorities have intensified abusive measures against Palestinian women held in the Damon Prison, where female detainees—including two minors and three pregnant women—have reported a sharp rise in systematic violence, isolation, and degrading treatment, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said.
PPS said on Sunday that Damon Prison has become one of the main sites where Israeli prison authorities have escalated collective punishment against Palestinian women.
The facility currently holds the majority of the 88 female detainees, while others remain in interrogation and holding centers.
Among the detainees are two girls and three pregnant women in their early months of pregnancy, all of whom were abducted in recent weeks under Israeli allegations of “incitement.”
Testimonies from women still held in Damon, as well as others recently released, describe at least ten violent suppression operations carried out by Israeli prison units during March and April 2026.
These operations included severe beatings, forcing women to lie face down on the ground, binding their hands behind their backs, and assaulting them while they were restrained. Several detainees suffered bruises and other injuries as a result.
The documented suppression operations took place on February 28, March 5, March 10, March 17, March 30, April 1, April 3, April 17, April 21, and April 23, 2026.
PPS added that, alongside these violent assaults, Israeli authorities have expanded the use of solitary confinement against female detainees.
At least six women were placed in isolation cells, some for more than two weeks, in conditions described as punitive and degrading.
Women detainees also reported severe overcrowding, particularly as Israeli forces continue widespread arrest campaigns.
Some cells now hold more than ten women, forcing many to sleep on the floor. Hunger and deliberate food deprivation were repeatedly cited in detainee testimonies, especially during periods coinciding with Israeli holidays.
One woman reportedly lost around 30 kilograms after several months of detention due to sustained deprivation.
PPS said all detainees confirmed that Israeli authorities continue to enforce a set of abusive practices that have become entrenched since the beginning of the ongoing genocide, including strip searches, especially during transfers to Hasharon Prison or upon entry to Damon.
The organization described strip searches as a widespread practice and a form of sexual violence used against both male and female detainees.
Several women suffer from chronic medical conditions, including two cancer patients who are being denied adequate treatment, leading to a worsening of their health.
PPS noted that most women are held either under allegations of “incitement” or under administrative detention, based on undisclosed “secret files” without charge or trial.
The organization renewed its call for the immediate release of all women held arbitrarily, especially minors, pregnant detainees, and those suffering from illness, and demanded an end to the systematic abuses that form part of the broader pattern of ongoing crimes against Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli authorities currently hold more than 9,400 Palestinian detainees, including 3,376 held under arbitrary Administrative Detention orders without charge or trial, according to the latest figures. Among the imprisoned Palestinians are at least 87 women and 360 children.
