Overview
- Physicians for Human Rights Israel published prison-service data showing a steep rise in solitary confinement of Palestinian detainees since 2023, including minors and women.
- The figures cited by Middle East Eye report minors moved to isolation rising from 1 in 2022 to 50 in 2023 and 290 in 2024, with adult cases reaching 4,493 in 2024 and women increasing from 2 in 2022 to 25 in 2024.
- The Israel Prison Service uses two forms of isolation, with punitive terms capped at 14 days and deterrent terms lasting up to six months and renewable, and rights groups say most cases are short punitive stints.
- The prison service says a surge in security detainees explains the higher numbers, argues pre- and post-October 2023 comparisons are misleading, and describes its approach as enforcing order under the law.
- Rights groups report worsening prison conditions for Palestinians, citing food shortages, disease outbreaks, and guard violence, and warn that isolation can trigger severe mental and physical harm.