Palestinian Detainees Face Deteriorating Health Amid Medical Neglect and Scabies Outbreak

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs announced on Sunday that the health and humanitarian conditions of three Palestinian prisoners in Israel's Ofer Prison have significantly worsened. Among them is a 60-year-old prisoner suffering from chronic illnesses and injuries sustained during his arrest, while another is afflicted with scabies, exacerbated by poor hygiene and a lack of basic necessities.

Mahir Rizk Abdel-Nasan, 60, from Al-Mughayyir village, was arrested on July 6, 2026, at a checkpoint. According to testimonies from released prisoners, he was severely beaten, held under the sun for hours, and had cigarettes extinguished on his body during his detention. His vehicle, personal documents, and land ownership papers were confiscated. Abdel-Nasan suffers from chronic conditions, including a herniated disc requiring surgery, a joint inflammation, and colon problems, all aggravated by medical neglect in detention. He also experiences severe pain in his shoulder, back, and chest due to the assault, with visible marks remaining. A former officer in the Palestinian security forces, he is a father of seven and is currently serving a four-month administrative detention sentence.

Another detainee, Rafiq Ra'ed Rafiq Qabaj, 23, from Al-Bireh, suffers from rapid heart rate and requires medication. He has also contracted scabies, which the commission states has spread throughout his section due to unsanitary conditions. Qabaj, a university pharmacy student, was arrested on February 12, 2026, and is also under administrative detention.

Ali Abdel Eideh Barghouti, detained since December 15, 2025, reported that prisoners lack sufficient clothing and cleaning supplies, leading to the spread of scabies. He described recurring crackdowns in the prison section, including room searches and confiscation of belongings. Barghouti also stated that prison administration prevents collective prayers and punishes those who lead them.

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs called for urgent intervention to provide necessary medical care, especially for the sick and elderly, to stop assaults and medical neglect, and to improve humanitarian conditions in Israeli prisons in line with international standards.