On Sunday the Nelson Mandela Foundation for Political Prisoners urged the UN to investigate human rights violations in Israeli jails. In testimony given to the UN, Buthaina Duqmaq, head of the foundation, claimed that Israel was attempting to isolate prisoners from the rest of the world. Israel routinely transfers prisoners from the occupied territories to jails inside Israel, a practice which violates the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Duqmaq reported that there are 1,200 Palestinian families unable to visit relatives held by Israel. Prisoners from Gaza are even more isolated due to the ongoing siege of the enclave. She presented testimony and letters from prisoners as evidence of Israeli violations against prisoners.
One of the demands of the recent hunger striking prisoners was that they be allowed personal visits.
Today, 25 prisoners from Gaza received family visits for the first time. There are currently 473 Gaza prisoners in Israeli jails.
