Palestinian Detainee Alleges Medical Neglect and Abuse in Israeli Prison
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
A Palestinian detainee, Maha Al-Rifa'i, alleges severe medical neglect and physical and psychological abuse during her detention in Israeli prisons since February 2026. She reports worsening health conditions, including knee and disc problems, and claims to have been subjected to strip searches, forced crawling, and physical assault, with inadequate medical treatment for injuries and a scabies outbreak.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Detainee Maha Al-Rifa'i reports medical neglect and abuse in Damon Prison.
- She suffers from knee and disc problems exacerbated by detention conditions.
- Al-Rifa'i alleges strip searches and physical assault by guards.
- A scabies outbreak has spread among detainees, causing sleep deprivation.
- She claims inadequate treatment for injuries and the infection.
Maha Al-Rifa'i, a 55-year-old detainee from the town of Anata, has reported suffering from multiple health issues exacerbated during her detention since February 11, 2026, along with alleged medical neglect at Damon Prison. According to a report by the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, which conveyed Al-Rifa'i's statement to her lawyer, she experiences pain and problems with her knee cartilage and discs, making it difficult for her to sit on the ground for extended periods. Overcrowding and detention conditions, including being forced to sit and move in ways unsuitable for her health, have worsened her pain.
Al-Rifa'i stated that Israeli forces raided her home on February 11 around 11 p.m., bound her hands with plastic ties, and transported her in a military vehicle to the Ma'ale Adumim area, where she claims she was subjected to verbal abuse, threats, and degrading treatment. The following day, she was moved to the Moscobiya interrogation center, where she spent about a week in a cell she described as uninhabitable. She reported undergoing strip searches and being forced by female guards to crawl on the floor, alongside enduring severe psychological, physical, and moral pressure. The cell was small, with four nearly touching beds, insufficient space for movement, no windows, and constant darkness.
Upon her transfer to Damon Prison, Al-Rifa'i reported another strip search. Days later, she was involved in a suppression incident within her section along with other female detainees, which included being beaten and pushed, causing her to fall on her knees and experience severe pain, particularly given her existing health conditions. She sustained injuries, swelling, and pain in her legs during this incident. According to her account, she received only one painkiller during her entire detention, and the prison clinic did not complete treatment for a scabies infection, which she said had spread among detainees in her room. The itching from scabies prevented sleep and caused skin bleeding, and she described the room as severely overcrowded, with three detainees forced to sleep on the floor.
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