The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) said around 100 Palestinian detainees have been infected with the novel coronavirus in Israeli prisons.
The organization said in a statement that the number increased after new infections were recorded in Gilboa Prison, northern Israel, which includes 360 prisoners who face the threat of contracting the virus as it continues to spread among them.
Detainees are worried about the current situation, especially those who have health problems or chronic diseases.
The virus had spread widely in two sections of the jail, namely Section 3, which the prison administration transformed into what it calls a “quarantine unit” and has 87 active cases.
There are 11 new infections in Section 1 and two others in Section 4.
No statement has yet been issued by the Israeli Prison Authority regarding the issue.
The PPS warned that the prison's administration is fully responsible for the fate of the prisoners in Gilboa after it postponed testing the inmates despite showing symptoms of the disease, which led to the rapid spread of the virus.
The organization renewed its calls on all human rights institutions, headed by the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), to pressure the occupation to release the sick, the elderly in particular, stop the daily arrests, and allow an independent medical committee to supervise the prisoners' health.
