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Israel cuts hot water, family visits for female Palestinian prisoners

October 24, 2018 at 10:51 am

Women demonstrate in solidarity for the Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons 8 March 2012 [Ashraf Amra/Apaimages]

Israel Prison Service (IPS) has banned female Palestinian prisoners from family visits and cut hot water supplies after they launched protests against the installation of CCTV cameras in their courtyards.

The prisoners in the HaSharon prison have refused to leave their rooms for 49 days in protest of Israel’s tightening of surveillance.

Many have since complained of harsh treatments in the prison’s medical clinic leading to them deciding to refusing to access care there.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association, the IPS refuses to meet the demands of the female inmates who view the cameras as a violation of their privacy.

The IPS installed the cameras years ago but after prisoners protested they were forced to cover them. They have no been brought back in to operation in an effort to tighten restrictions of Palestinian prisoners.

Prisoners play sports in the courtyard and many remove their hijabs in an effort to allow greater exposure to the sun.

READ: Palestinian journalists being ‘tortured’ in Israel jails