Prisoners’ office reveals assault on Abdullah Barghouti in Israeli jail

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said on Thursday that detainee Abdullah Barghouti was injured during a suppression operation at Gilboa prison a day earlier.

In a statement, the office said Barghouti appeared exhausted during a family visit and had a visible injury to his left eye. It claimed he had struck his head against a door while being taken to the visit as prison authorities launched the operation inside the facility.

The statement added that Barghouti has suffered severe weight loss, reportedly dropping from 110kg to 60kg, a dangerous indicator of deteriorating health due to neglect and malnutrition, as well as a lack of basic necessities.

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Barghouti, from Beit Rima near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, is serving 67 life sentences following his 2003 conviction over his leadership role in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.

Hamas said the assault constituted a “crime reflecting the level of brutality” in Israeli prisons. Senior Hamas figure Abdul Rahman Shadid condemned the deliberate beating that resulted in injury, calling it part of a systematic policy of repression against prisoners.

According to Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups, more than 9,300 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli prisons. 

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