Undercover soldiers of the Matzada and Nachshon brigades broke into Palestinian detainees’ rooms in section 14 of the Ofer Israeli Prison and searched them; the soldiers also used military dogs while searching the rooms.The detainees stated that the soldiers broke toilet and shower stalls and dug some floors under the claim of searching for communication devices hidden by the detainees. They also strip-searched several detainees, and confiscated personal belongings.
The attack lasted for several hours; soldiers threatened the detainees that should they continue their protests against military courts, and continue to return their meals, the administration will authorize furthers invasions into their rooms.
Furthermore, the Prison Administration turned the electricity off in section 14, and the soldiers invaded rooms 1, 5 and 12, and also disconnected the TV cable feeding section 12 and 14 and confiscated several fans used by the detainees in the excessive heat of the summer.
The detainee voiced an appeal to human rights groups to intervene, and said that they would escalate their protests, especially since this attack violates the latest agreement between the detainees in various Israeli prisons and the Prison Authorities following an extended hunger-strike.
As part of this agreement, the Prison Administration vowed to halt its violations, end solidarity confinement policies, provide adequate medical care to ailing detainees, allow visitations to Gaza Strip detainees, reinstate education, and several other issues; yet, this latest violation comes to shatter this agreement an issue that will likely push the detainees to renew their open-ended hunger-strike.
