Forced hijab removal, beatings target Palestinian women in ‘Israeli’ prisons

• Palestinian women detainees face reported forced hijab removal, beatings, and exposure to tear gas and pepper spray inside ‘Israeli’ prisons, with a pregnant detainee requiring urgent medical care.
• The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club reports 87 women in detention, including 21 held under administrative detention, as scabies spreads and journalist Bushra al-Taweel remains in isolation.

Palestinian women detainees are facing severe abuse inside ‘Israeli’ prisons, including forced hijab removal, beatings, and the use of tear gas and pepper spray inside cells and bathing facilities, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office.

The reported abuses have caused severe choking, vomiting, and serious health complications among detainees, including a pregnant woman who was urgently transferred to a prison clinic.

The office called for immediate international intervention to stop the violations and ensure medical care for injured, ill, and pregnant detainees.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office said an ‘Israeli’ prison officer forcibly removed the hijabs of several detainees under the pretext of checking their hair. The officer then isolated 17 women and forced them to undo their braids, violating their privacy and dignity.

The office said prison repression units subsequently forced the women to lie face down on the floor for an hour and subjected them to severe beatings before returning them to cells filled with tear gas.

Prison guards sprayed pepper spray inside a room holding 15 Palestinian women, including elderly detainees, causing severe choking and vomiting, according to the office.

One woman reportedly had to be carried out because she could no longer move, while another lost the ability to walk.

In a separate incident, gas was released inside bathing facilities while detainees were washing. A pregnant woman suffered a serious deterioration in her health and was rushed to the prison clinic.

The office urged international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene immediately and ensure adequate medical treatment for the affected detainees.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club reported that 87 Palestinian women were being held in ‘Israeli’ prisons, including 21 under administrative detention without charge or trial.

The organization also warned of a scabies outbreak among detainees, attributing its spread to restrictions on hygiene supplies and clean clothing, alongside deteriorating sanitary conditions.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club also raised concerns over the continued isolation of Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Taweel, who has reportedly spent nearly 50 days in isolation under harsh conditions, including beatings and verbal abuse.

Her administrative detention has been renewed for an additional four months, according to the organization.

The club said her repeated transfers between prisons were obstructing legal follow-up and preventing her from meeting with her lawyers.

It called on international human rights organizations to pressure ‘Israeli’ authorities to end her isolation and protect her rights.

The reports have renewed calls for international intervention over the treatment of Palestinian women detainees, particularly those requiring urgent medical care.