Palestinian prisoners in Ashkelon prison abused in nighttime raid

prison-cellIsraeli prison authorities in Ashkelon prison have engaged in a series of repressive and violent raids against Palestinian prisoners, reported Palestinian lawyer Karim Ajwa, on October 7.

Special units referred to as Nachson, along with police, stormed Section 3 and Room 13 in the prison, ransacking the prisoners’ belongings in a raid he called provocative and humiliating to the prisoners, who were removed from the room. Nasser Abu Hamid, a representative of sick prisoners, said that the forces damaged the prisoners’ belongings for no apparent reason, noting that the prisoners in Room 13 include sick and elderly prisoners, for whom the incident was painful and tiring.

The raid lasted several hours. Ajwa noted that these raids are ongoing and abusive and are now a routine part of reprisals practiced by Israeli authorities against Palestinian political prisoners.