Two more Palestinian prisoners infected with coronavirus in Israeli jail

Two more Palestinian prisoners have contracted novel coronavirus in an Israeli detention center amid mounting concerns about medical negligence by Israeli authorities toward Palestinians kept behind bars.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club (PPC) said in a statement on Thursday that Israeli authorities had announced that 38-year-old Naim Abu Turki, a resident of the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, and Mahmoud al-Ghaliz, 14, had tested positive for COVID-19. 

The PPC added that Abu Turki has been put in quarantine along with five other prisoners who had contact with him.

The statement noted that Abu Turki was arrested four days ago, and transferred to Section 14 at Ofer Prison, located west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

The PPC then stressed the need for an impartial medical committee to supervise the coronavirus diagnostic tests of Palestinian prisoners, and to follow up on the inmates’ health conditions.

Two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails

Open-ended hunger strike has become a means of attacking Israel’s detention policies employed by Palestinian prisoners.

Separately, the Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission said Ghaliz was arrested from his home in Jalazone refugee camp, located 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) north of Ramallah, about two weeks before and tested positive for coronavirus after a diagnostic test was carried on him.

There have been growing calls from regional and international rights groups to put pressure on the Israeli regime to provide Palestinian prisoners with enough protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Palestinian and Arab activists also launched a media campaign earlier this year by using local radio stations and Twitter hashtags to help protect the prisoners.

According to the Palestinian Information Center, over 60 official and private institutions from around the world, including societies, unions and media outlets, participated in the campaign.

More than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails, with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.

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The suffering of Palestinian prisoners has intensified during the coronavirus pandemic.

Over 350 detainees, including women and minors, are under Israel’s administrative detention.

The administrative detention, which is a form of imprisonment without trial or charge, allows authorities to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months. The duration could be extended for an infinite number of times.

The detention takes place on orders from a military commander and on the basis of what the Israeli regime describes as ‘secret’ evidence.

Some prisoners have been held in administrative detention for up to 11 years.

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