The Palestinian Prisoners Society revealed that Israeli arrested in 2004, 63 females, from several Palestinian areas, among them wives of detainees and residents who were killed by the army.
Also, soldiers arrested 14 girls under the age of 18; the youngest two female detainees are Hiba Yaghmour, 14, who was also shot and wounded when she was arrested on February, 26, 2005, and Ghada Saber Abu Hmeid, 14, from Hebron, who was arrested on September, 5, 2004.
By the beginning of 2005, 129 female detainees were imprisoned in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, currently there are 120 female detainees, including 13 mothers, and 23 underage; 15 female detainees are sick and need medical attention.
Detainee Manal Ghanem, is currently detained with her infant Nour, recently Israel released detainee Mirvat Taha, who was also imprisoned with her infant Wael, who was born in detention.
ÂÂ
Dozens of attacks against female detainees were reported in 2004; Israeli police and soldiers sprayed tear gas after repeatedly breaking into the rooms, and imposed harsh procedures against the detainees, several detainees were injured and bruised.
Dozens of detainees were fined; others were forced to go through naked body searches and insults.
A number of the female detainees were placed in rooms and sections close to Israeli female prisoners held for criminal charges, the Israeli prisoners repeatedly attacked them.
Detainee Iman Al-Ghazzawi, “My sons were not able to recognize meâ€Â
Detainee Iman Al-Ghazzawi, told lawyer of the Prisoners Society, Hanan Al-Khateeb that after she was arrested, her children were allowed to visit here three years.
“My kids did not recognize me, they started crying when they saw me, and left, it made me so sad that my children are not be to recognize their own mother, and I even could not hold them because of the plastic barrier separating usâ€Â, Al-Ghazzawi said.
Al-Ghazzawi was arrested when her son was five and a half years old, and her daughter Samah was only 4 years old.
Medical neglect
Detainee Manal Sabaghnah, 19, from Jenin, told lawyer Al-Khateeb that most of the detainees are suffering from different diseases and are not receiving the medical attention and medication.
“There is no specialized doctor in detention, and no gynecologist in the prison clinic, while the dentist does not visit the prison often, and does not treat the tooth decay, the only medication were get is painkiller pillsâ€Â, Sabaghnah, said.
Several detainees are suffering from ophthalmic diseases, back and spinal problems as a result of forcing them to sit in bad positions, torture during interrogations, in addition to humidity in rooms; lack of heating and warm clothes.
Detainee Na’eema Nakhla, a mother of two, who was released recently from detention, said that she was only given painkiller pills in detention in spite of her asthma, which negatively affected and deteriorated her health condition.
Also, detainee Randa Al-Shahateet, from Doura near Hebron, said that she was tied and blindfolded, and badly beaten when she was arrested 10 months ago.ÂÂ
Al-Shahateet was arrested when she was at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, and was interrogated and tortured at a military camp near Hebron, then transferred to Navi Tertsa†detention in Al-Ramleh.
Al-Shahateet is currently deprived from her visitation rights after the soldiers claimed that she touched the fence during the counting of the detainees.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society appealed the Red Cross, and international humanitarian organizations to interfere and put an end to the continuous violations against the detainees.
The society also demanded the Palestinian Authority to conduct international pressures to release the detainees, and consider their case a priority in any political settlement.
