Palestinian women represented a milestone in confronting the Israeli occupiers. She took up arms, organized demonstrations, was martyred, wounded and exiled. She was captured, but still maintains the image of a steadfast Palestinian woman in the face of the occupier.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, more than 16,000 Palestinian women, including elderly women and children, were arrested during the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In the past two days, 30 Palestinian prisoners have been released as part of a prisoner exchange cease-fire agreement between Israel and the anti-Islamic movement Hamas, while another 32 female prisoners are being held in Israeli occupation prisons. And we get to know the women prisoners, some of them released, some of them waiting for whom?
24 women prisoners were released on the first day of the ceasefire
The first batch (24) of freed women prisoners released on Friday evening, 11/24/2023, the first day of the ceasefire, included the names of the prisoners.
6 female prisoners were released on the second day of the ceasefire
The second batch included the release of 6 female prisoners, who were released late on Saturday evening, 11/25/2023.
Palestinian women prisoners in detention
As of 11/25/2023 dozens of Palestinian female prisoners are still being held in Israeli prisons.
Elderly female prisoner: We were attacked after October 7
“Palestinian women prisoners have had a hard time since last October 7, when the Israeli authorities took everything from them and beat the women prisoners,” said Maysoun Musa al-Jabali, a senior female prisoner in Israeli prisons after her release early Sunday. By beating them, gassing them, and putting them in solitary confinement.”
Maysoun is the oldest female prisoner in Israeli prisons, having been arrested on June 29, 2015 and sentenced to 15 years in prison. At the end of 2021, Maysoun was named the “Dean of Female Prisoners” as she became the oldest Palestinian female prisoner in Israeli prisons after Amal Tagatka, who was older than her, was released and her sentence ended in December 2021. .
Detention of Palestinian women prisoners should be extended
The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced on November 23 that the occupation has extended the detention of journalist Merwat al-Asa from Jerusalem until Monday. He has been detained since November 16.
Detainee Fairuz Salama from Anata/Jerusalem was extended for 8 days and has been detained since 16 November.
An Administrative Detention Order was issued against Omaima Bisharat Dubas, an occupying prisoner, after extending his detention for 144 hours (6 days) and knowing that he had been in custody since October 29 last.
Likewise, the detention of Kholoud Al-Jarmi, a detainee from Palada camp/Nablus, has been extended until Monday, and she and her husband have been detained since November 18.
The plight of Palestinian women prisoners
From the moment of their arrest at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, Palestinian women prisoners are subjected to all kinds of psychological and physical pressure, as well as intimidation, without taking into account their special needs.
According to prisoners’ organizations (Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Adamir Prisoners’ Care and Human Rights Foundation and Wadi Hilway Center – Jerusalem), the number of prisoners in occupation prisons at the end of October was 7,000, including 62 female prisoners.
“Damon” is a women’s prison
Most of the Palestinian women prisoners are held in Damon Prison, which was established as a smokehouse during the British Mandate. When it was built attention was paid to providing humidity to preserve the smoke leaves. Israel captured it after 1948 and turned it into a prison.
This prison was closed for a short time; It was later reopened in 2001.
Damon Prison lacks the basic necessities of human life. Most of the rooms are poorly ventilated, and due to the age of the building, insects and moisture are prevalent. Its floor is also made of concrete. It is very cold in winter days and very hot in summer days.
Mothers are held in occupied prisons
The Israeli occupation regularly arrests mothers, and the occupation authorities deprive the children of captive mothers of open visits, and help them embrace them, and deprive some of them of visits or prevent them.
According to data from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the following is a list of the names of the arrested mothers:
- Isra Jabis.
- Fatwa Hamada.
- Edaf Jaradat.
- Yasmin Shaban.
- Aya al-Khatib.
- Manal Saeed Tudin.
Female prisoners gave birth to their children inside the prison
From the first moment a pregnant Palestinian prisoner is arrested, her ongoing suffering at the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities begins. After the trial period is over, they go to detention cells with minimal sanitary conditions.
When it was time to give birth, prison officials would chain the legs and arms of a laboring inmate and take her to the hospital. without allowing her husband and family members to attend; Her bonds do not cease till the moment of her birth.
Following are the names of female inmates who have given birth behind bars:
- Zakia Shamoud.
- Magda Jasir al-Salem.
- Omaima Musa Muhammad al-Jabur al-Aqa.
- Merwat Mahmood Yusuf Daha.
- Manal Ibrahim Abdel Rahman Khanem.
- Aisha al-Qurd.
- Samar Ibrahim Sobaih.
- Fatima Younis Hasan Al-Zaq.
- Samiha Hamdan.
Prisoners of the beginning
Occupied prisons are one of the arenas of conflict between the Palestinian woman and the occupying prisoner, who tries by all means to break her will. However, it survived and added a new chapter of glory and fame to its history. Hence, it is necessary to shed light on the group of early women prisoners who gave their youthful flower behind the bars of the occupation prisons from 1967 to the end of the eighties, and herewith is a list of names. Female prisoners since 1967, published by the Palestinian News Agency on its official website.
“Creator. Award-winning problem solver. Music evangelist. Incurable introvert.”
