Number of Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli jails rises to 59, Hamas office says

The Prisoners’ Media Office affiliated with Hamas has said the number of Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons has risen to 59, following more than 680 arrests of women since 7^th October 2023.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the office said the total includes minors and noted that the figure does not account for detainees from Gaza whose whereabouts are reportedly unknown in military detention facilities.

According to the statement, among the 59 female prisoners are two women diagnosed with cancer, two minors and one detainee who gave birth while in custody. It added that most of the women are facing charges of “incitement”, while around one-third are being held under administrative detention without formal charge.

The office alleged that female prisoners are subjected to malnutrition, medical neglect, prison raids, solitary confinement and violations of privacy. It also said women journalists and media figures remain in detention and accused Israeli authorities of using female detainees as leverage against their families.

Israeli authorities have not commented on the latest figures. Official data indicate that approximately 9,350 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons as of early January.