Israeli authorities have moved Palestinian journalist and detainee Bushra al-Tawil to solitary confinement at Ramla prison. The 33-year-old journalist has spent nearly six months in detention since her arrest in February.
The Palestinian Prisoner Society said Israeli authorities later placed al-Tawil under administrative detention.
Al-Tawil is from Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank. She has also faced detention several times in the past.
According to the society, most of her previous detentions also involved administrative detention.
Journalist has faced repeated detention
The Palestinian Prisoner Society said authorities first detained al-Tawil in 2011. She was 18 years old at the time.
Her father, Jamal al-Tawil, also remains in an Israeli prison. He is among Palestinian detainees who have spent extended periods under administrative detention.
The society said the family has faced repeated raids and harassment.
It also alleged that authorities deliberately damaged the family’s home during arrests involving Bushra and her father.
Al-Tawil had already experienced solitary confinement during her current detention at Damon prison.
The society said authorities placed her in solitary confinement several times. It described her latest transfer to Ramla prison as part of a broader pattern of punitive measures.
Concerns grow over conditions for Palestinian women
The latest transfer comes amid growing concerns over conditions faced by Palestinian women in Israeli prisons.
The Palestinian Prisoner Society has alleged food deprivation, denial of medical care and solitary confinement among female detainees.
It also raised concerns about poor detention conditions and inadequate hygiene.
According to the society, scabies has spread among female detainees amid insufficient hygiene and healthcare.
The group said around 90 Palestinian women are currently held in Israeli prisons.
Society criticises treatment of detainees
The society linked al-Tawil’s transfer to a visit by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
According to the group, Ben-Gvir visited the women’s section of Damon prison on Sunday.
The society said he posted footage from the visit, describing it as “in a scene that embodies an unprecedented level of brutality and disrespect for the dignity and rights of female prisoners,”
The group also accused Israeli authorities of conducting systematic raids and filming female detainees.
It further alleged invasive searches, including forced strip searches.
The society said solitary confinement, food deprivation, denial of medical treatment and harsh detention conditions have affected Palestinian prisoners since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.
It described Israeli prisons as having become “grounds for torture as one of the most prominent aspects of the ongoing crime of genocide”
The group held Israel responsible for the safety of al-Tawil and other Palestinian female detainees.
Calls for urgent international action
The Palestinian Prisoner Society called on international and human rights organisations to act urgently.
It urged these groups to work towards halting alleged violations and protecting Palestinian prisoners.
According to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, around 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons.
The figure includes around 90 women and more than 350 children.
The groups have raised allegations involving food deprivation, torture and medical neglect among Palestinian detainees.
Meanwhile, al-Tawil’s latest transfer has renewed attention on the conditions facing Palestinian women in Israeli detention.
Her current detention remains under administrative detention, while the Palestinian Prisoner Society continues to raise concerns about her treatment and safety.
