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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.
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Detainee Tasneem Odeh: Arrested for old Facebook posts and held in cruel conditions
July 27, 2025
A lawyer from the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, reported, following a visit to Damoun Prison, that Israeli occupation forces arrested 22-year-old Tasneem Barakat Odeh from Jerusalem on December 12, 2024. Tasneem was while she was driving her private car to transport students. It is worth noting that she is in her final year at the Faculty of Law at Al-Quds University.
She was taken from outside a school without any explanation. Officers stormed her car, confiscating her phone and iPad. She was then transferred to the Moscobiya Interrogation Center, and held for 14 days under the pretext of old Facebook posts from 2022 in which she mourned her father. During this period, she was subjected to daily interrogations lasting between six and seven hours, during which she was repeatedly insulted and cursed.
She was moved to Hasharon Prison after interrogation, where she spent one night in extremely difficult conditions, including a full strip search. She was later transferred to Damon Prison.
Tasneem pointed out: “During one of my court sessions at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court, I was beaten on the head and face by a prison guard. I was also held in the detainees’ transport vehicle (Bosta) for more than two hours with the engine and air conditioning turned off, which caused me to nearly lose consciousness due to suffocation.”
She further noted that prison forces had recently raided the women's section using police dogs and tear gas. The cells were thoroughly searched, and the female detainees were subjected to collective punishment for trivial and unreasonable reasons, such as old writings on the walls. Among the punishments was a seven-day ban on going out to the prison yard.
In addition, Tasneem highlighted that the cells in Damon Prison are fully sealed, with no ventilation, despite the severe overcrowding and high temperatures. A total of 43 female detainees are currently being held there.
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Detainee Sirin Saeedi endures brutal detention conditions in Damon prison
The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs reported today that 56-year-old Sirin Mohammad As’ad Saeedi, from the village of Beit Lid near Tulkarm, is currently held under appalling conditions in Damon Prison. Despite suffering from a pituitary gland disorder and severe allergies, Saeedi remains in detention without adequate medical care, relying on essential medications to manage her health.
According to the Commission’s legal representative, Saeedi was subjected to repeated strip searches following her arrest, a clear violation of her dignity and rights. Her detention conditions are described as degrading and inhumane, particularly as she was arrested during the harsh winter months and has been repeatedly subjected to verbal abuse and humiliation by prison guards.
Saeedi has also raised serious concerns about sudden and aggressive nighttime raids carried out by guards on her cell, further exacerbating the psychological pressure she faces.
She is denied even the most basic necessities. Prison authorities have confiscated her clothing and shoes, leaving her in dire need of proper clothing, personal hygiene items, and sanitary supplies. During a recent lawyer visit, she revealed that women detainees are forced to remain dressed in prayer garments at all times due to the constant threat of sudden cell inspections.
Currently, 35 Palestinian women are held in Damon Prison, all suffering under similarly harsh and degrading conditions. They are provided with insufficient and poor-quality food, and are only allowed to shower during the short recess period at 7:00 a.m.
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Detainee Samia Mousa Jawaadeh
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The administration of Damoun prison targets elderly women detainees
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Jailers in Damoun Prison intends to provoke female detainees