Palestinian Detainee Intisar Al-Awawdeh Exposes the Inhumane Conditions Faced by Women Prisoners in Israeli Jails

August 4, 2025

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has revealed harrowing details of the abuse endured by Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, based on the testimony of detainee Intisar Al-Awawdeh, 52, from the town of Karma near Hebron. Her account, relayed through the Commission’s lawyer after a visit to Damon Prison, sheds light on systematic violations targeting female detainees.

Arrested on May 13, 2025, Al-Awawdeh recounted that Israeli forces raided her home in the early morning hours in large numbers. Her phone and computer were confiscated, she was not allowed to change her clothes, and was blindfolded and handcuffed before being taken away in a military jeep, without the presence of a female soldier.

She described being transferred between multiple interrogation centers, including Kiryat Arba and the Moskobiyyeh, where she was subjected to a humiliating strip search and detained for 22 days in dire conditions, dim lighting, no windows, and undrinkable water.

Later, Al-Awawdeh was transferred to the Sharon transit facility, which she described as uninhabitable: damp, dirty floors, moldy walls, and foul odors emanating from every corner. Meals were barely edible and often served in unwashed dishes. In one incident, she witnessed a guard dump food remnants into the trash, bang the plate on the bin, then refill it with rice, without rinsing or cleaning it, before handing it back to her. "I was disgusted," she said, "but hunger forced me to eat a boiled egg and a single potato."

After three days, she was moved to Damon Prison, where she remains. She describes the conditions as cruel and degrading. The prison cells lack basic ventilation; air vents are sealed, and even the upper part of the door is blocked by glass and mesh. Since the events of October 7, all electric appliances, including fans, have been confiscated, leaving detainees to suffer the sweltering summer heat.

Al-Awawdeh added that daily recreation time rarely exceeds 30 minutes, and is sometimes reduced to just 15 minutes at the whim of the guards. This short window is the only time allowed for showering and washing clothes. Detainees are released in small groups to prevent interaction, and when they return, the rooms are thick with humidity, an environment she says is perfect for the spread of skin parasites. No personal hygiene supplies are provided.

On the medical front, she reported that nearly all female detainees suffer from skin irritation, heavy sweating, and digestive issues like constipation, due to poor food and lack of movement. Exercise is nearly impossible, as the yard is under constant surveillance, making it impossible for women to remove their head coverings or receive adequate sun exposure. Many detainees now suffer from vitamin D deficiency and hair loss, in addition to a severe shortage of clean clothes and undergarments.

She also highlighted the trauma caused by frequent, unannounced searches at all hours of the day and night, which heighten anxiety among the prisoners, especially minors and pregnant women.

The Commission emphasized that these conditions amount to flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and all universally recognized human rights standards, and called on the international community, human rights organizations, and global parliaments to take immediate action to protect the rights and dignity of Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons.