Israel Prison Service

View of a drill for prison guards at the Israeli Prison Authorities, Gilboa Prison, December 5, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Ben Gvir turns up the heat on Palestinian prisoners

From restricting visitations to demanding the death penalty, the national security minister has begun rolling out his harsher vision for Israeli prisons.

By Baker Zoubi January 24, 2023

Members of Palestinian factions in Gaza perform a scene to represent the reality of the lives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, April 9, 2019. (Hassan Jedi/Flash90)

Dispelling Israeli myths about Palestinian prisoners

The Israeli media often claims Palestinian political prisoners are treated to 'five-star' treatment. In reality, they face some of the worst conditions in the West.

By Oren Ziv September 12, 2021

Members of Palestinian factions in Gaza perform a scene to represent the reality of the lives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, April 9, 2019. (Hassan Jedi/Flash90)

Israeli prison ban on phone calls risks ‘breaking spirits’ of Palestinian minors

Israel claims incarcerated Palestinian children pose a threat to national security just like adults — and therefore can't contact their families.

By Oren Ziv September 23, 2020

Latest

Illustrative photo of Israeli soldiers detain a blindfolded Palestinian child. (Wagdi Ashtiyeh/Flash90)

Top court throws out case demanding Palestinian kids be allowed to call parents from prison

The Israeli Supreme Court refuses to hear arguments in a case about whether Palestinian minors imprisoned by Israel should be allowed to speak to their families on the phone. Israel’s High Court of Justice refused to hear a petition by an Israeli human rights organization demanding that Palestinian minors held in Israeli prisons be allowed…

By Edo Konrad July 3, 2019

A prisoner seen making a phone call in Gilboa Prison, northern Israel, February 28, 2013. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

Should Palestinian children be able to call parents from prison? Israeli court will decide

Palestinian children in Israeli jails classified as ‘security prisoners’ are denied the right to speak to or see their families, sometimes for months on end. Israel’s top court will hear arguments about whether Palestinian children held in Israeli prisoners should be allowed to call their parents on the phone. Palestinian minors classified by Israel as…

By Edo Konrad June 30, 2019

Illustrative photo of Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian man in the southern West Bank, June 23, 2018. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

Israel sent an average of 29 Palestinians a month to admin. detention last year

As of May 2018, 440 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons without charge or trial, according to new data. Administrative detention orders can be renewed indefinitely, without any way for the prisoner to defend themselves in court. By Yael Marom Israeli authorities sent an average of 29 Palestinians a month to prison without charge…

By +972 Magazine July 26, 2018

An electric cart provides transportation through the 900-meter caged terminal spanning the restricted access zone at the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, July 2, 2012. (Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

Israel deports 14-year-old girl to Gaza — without telling her parents

Ghada had spent her entire life in the West Bank, yet somehow found herself deported to the Gaza Strip after being arrested by Border Police officers. Israeli authorities deported a 14-year-old epileptic Palestinian girl from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip earlier this month, without notifying her parents, and despite the fact that she…

By Edo Konrad January 31, 2018

Joint List MK Basel Ghattas is brought to court for a remand on his arrest at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court, December 27, 2016. (Yair Sagi/Flash90)

In bid to expel Arab MK, Israel manages to break its own record

MK Basel Ghattas will serve two years for smuggling cellphones to Palestinian security prisoners. That’s a longer sentence than the one handed down to an Elor Azaria, who executed an incapacitated Palestinian. Congratulations are in order to the attorney general and the Knesset for the latest Arab they managed be put up on the cross.…

By Orly Noy March 18, 2017

Illustrative photo of Israeli physicians at a hospital. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)

Israeli doctors refusing to force feed Palestinian hunger strikers

The Knesset passed a law allowing courts to order doctors to force feed Palestinian hunger strikers. But the doctors, it appears, aren’t so keen on violating basic principles of medical ethics. By Bettina Birmans A human, medical and political drama unfolded over the past few weeks at Asaf Harofeh Medical Center, just outside of Tel Aviv.…

By +972 Magazine December 29, 2016

Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

High Court green-lights torture of Palestinian hunger strikers

According to the court’s ruling, force feeding, universally recognized as a form of torture, is a legitimate tool to use against hunger strikers. By Noam Rotem For the past two months three Palestinians have been on hunger strike over their administrative detention without trial. The three are the brothers Mahmoud Balboul (a police chief), Muhammad…

By +972 Magazine September 13, 2016

Fares Sritah, 19, from the Jerusalem neighborhood Beit Hanina neighborhood, is brought to Jerusalem's District Court, August 13, 2015. Sritah was charged with attempting to join Islamic State. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Who are the ISIS supporters in Israel’s prisons?

The 46 ISIS-associated prisoners represent only 0.3 percent of the prison population and just one-tenth of one percent of all prisoners. Some went off to fight in Syria, while others expressed support for the group on social media. By Noam Rotem As of the end of June, Israel was imprisoning 46 alleged ISIS supporters, according…

By +972 Magazine September 4, 2016

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas embraces Palestinians recently released from Israeli prisons at a ceremony in the West Bank city of Ramallah, August 14, 2013. (Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Why Palestinians mark Prisoners’ Day

More than 7,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of minors, are currently in Israeli prisons. Honoring prisoners and ‘freedom fighters’ isn’t just a Palestinian tradition, however. Israelis do it, too. By Noam Rotem Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza marked “Prisoners Day” Sunday, commemorating and highlighting the plight of thousands of Palestinians being held in Israeli…

By +972 Magazine April 17, 2016

Ayalon prison facility, near the city of Ramla (photo: Activestills)

Israel bans Palestinian prisoners from bringing in books

The ban is a response to smuggling attempts using hollowed-out books, prison officials say. No such sweeping punishments are imposed on Israeli prisoners, attorney says. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) has been changing its policy about what it allows Palestinian security prisoners to receive inside its prisons, and has now banned them from bringing in…

By Haggai Matar January 27, 2016