Israeli Occupation Escalates Abuse of Imprisoned Palestinian Political Leaders Held in Solitary
August 19, 2025
Palestinian Prisoner’s Society
Ramallah, occupied Palestine – The Israeli occupation’s prison system is escalating its systematic abuse of Palestinian political leaders held in solitary confinement, most of whom are in “Megiddo” and “Janot” prisons (formerly Rimon and Nafha), the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said today.
The PPS noted that targeting political leaders is not new but has intensified dramatically since the onset of the ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza. The prison system has employed methods of torture, abuse, and humiliation, including severe beatings and attacks using police dogs. The most brutal assaults have occurred in solitary units in Megiddo Prison and during frequent transfers between Megiddo and Janot prisons.
Recent reports highlighted a violent assault on prominent leader Hassan Salameh during a transfer from Megiddo to Janot, where he was severely beaten—particularly on the head—while his hands and feet were shackled. Other prisoners were also subjected to similar abuse during recent transfers.
These developments come just days after the release of a video showing political leader Marwan Barghouthi in his solitary cell in Janot Prison, where the fascist minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to kill him.
The PPS and other prisoner rights organizations have previously confirmed Israel’s unprecedented efforts to eliminate key figures within the prisoners’ movement. Many have suffered varying degrees of injury and developed chronic health problems. They are also victims of starvation, resulting in severe emaciation and drastic weight loss.
According to limited legal visits conducted by lawyers, the scale of abuse defies description. Repression forces have beaten prisoners until blood is shed, using a range of weapons—from batons to police dogs equipped with metal helmets. Today, most of these prisoners are suffering from injuries, bruises, and wounds, in addition to persistent pain that prevents them from sleeping.
The organizations clarified in a previous statement that the limited information gathered so far was obtained under extreme caution due to fears that further exposure could worsen the crackdown. Legal teams attempting to visit some of the prisoners have faced serious obstacles. While a few lawyers have managed to conduct very limited visits, they took place under severe conditions and heavy surveillance.
These restrictions have been especially tight for prisoners serving life sentences and political leaders since the start of their isolation and the systematic retaliation campaign against them.
They added that every day of isolation under this campaign now amounts to a form of unimaginable suffering, as solitary confinement becomes increasingly dangerous under systematic assault and brutality.
Dozens of testimonies have been recorded documenting these assaults, as well as acts of torture and intimidation, including explicit threats to kill prisoners.
In this context, the PPS holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the fate of thousands of prisoners held in prisons and military detention camps, including political leaders and prominent figures of the prisoners’ movement.
The organizations also renewed their call on international human rights bodies to take concrete steps to hold Israeli leaders accountable for war crimes committed against the Palestinian people. They also urged the imposition of international sanctions on Israel to enforce its isolation and restore the international human rights system to its intended role, ending the extraordinary impunity Israel currently enjoys as a state operating above the law.