Families of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails staged a protest in Gaza City on Monday demanding an end to escalating Israeli abuses, including beatings, torture and medical neglect.
The demonstration, attended by representatives of Palestinian political factions and national and Islamic organisations, called for urgent international intervention to protect more than 9,500 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Organised by the Prisoners Committee of the National and Islamic Forces and the Higher Committee of Families of Prisoners from the Gaza Strip, the protest was held outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in western Gaza City.
The demonstration formed part of a weekly gathering held every Monday in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.
Protesters carried Palestinian flags, photographs of detainees and banners demanding an end to physical and psychological abuse, as well as protection for prisoners under international law.
Jamil Ashour, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Arab Front, said the protest aimed to amplify the voices of Palestinian prisoners and reaffirm that their rights could not be extinguished with time.
Speaking on behalf of the Prisoners Committee of the National and Islamic Forces, Ashour described the conditions endured by prisoners in Israeli jails, including physical beatings, daily torture and systematic deprivation of basic rights.
He warned that Israeli authorities were disregarding international laws and conventions protecting prisoners and called on Palestinian organisations to intensify efforts to highlight their suffering.
Ashour also urged international human rights organisations to document Israeli abuses and hold those responsible accountable.
He called on the ICRC to visit Palestinian prisoners, assess their detention conditions and ensure they have access to adequate food and medical care.
"The Palestinian people, despite all the sacrifices, will remain steadfast and committed to their national rights until the occupation ends," he stressed.
Azza Mansour, the wife of Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Mansour, also addressed the demonstration on behalf of the Higher National Committee of Families of Prisoners from the Gaza Strip.
She said Palestinian prisoners were facing a campaign of abuse, including repeated assaults, severe beatings and surprise raids on their cells by Israeli prison authorities.
"There are sick prisoners who are denied their most basic right to medical treatment, prisoners held in solitary confinement, female prisoners subjected to constant humiliation, and children who are being tortured," she said.
Mansour condemned international silence over the physical and psychological abuse of Palestinian detainees.
"Silence is no longer an option. Our prisoners are not numbers, but fathers, mothers and children who have the right to freedom and human dignity," she added.
She urged the ICRC and other international organisations to intervene, ensure regular visits to Palestinian prisoners and demand an end to beatings, torture, medical neglect and other forms of mistreatment.
The demonstration comes amid growing concerns over conditions in Israeli prisons, with Palestinian prisoners and rights organisations reporting an escalation in abuse, torture and deaths in custody since October 2023.