Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced on Wednesday several new procedures that could worsen the conditions of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
The tough measures include rationing water supply, blocking Palestinian Authority funds, banning prisoners from cooking food for themselves, reducing autonomy given to Palestinian prisoners and ending separation of prisoners belonging to rival Palestinian factions Hamas, Fatah, and Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine.
“I have decided that the Prisons Service will stop holding the prisoners in wings based on their organizational affiliation,” he said.
"The Prison Service can handle any scenario" within its facilities, the minister said. "We mustn't be deterred by any attempt to scare us."
Erdan added that despite Shin Bet's reservations, "there is no reason a security issue would be delayed." He will submit his recommendations to the security cabinet, “We don’t fear threats or strikes.”
Erdan claimed that these procedures were taken in the aftermath of a report prepared by a special team from the Ministry of Public Security months ago, abstaining from classifying these procedures under pursuits to attain personal interests in the Likud elections at the beginning of February.
Reliable sources revealed that Erdan is eagerly seeking to enhance his position inside the party, out of fear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's followers would retaliate because he didn’t exert any personal effort to ban the police (falling under his authority) from recommending the submission of an indictment against Netanyahu in three corruption files.
In a statement, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights called on international and rights institutions to exert pressure on the occupation to abide by Geneva agreement and the international humanitarian law regarding captives’ rights.
The collective sanctions against more than 6,000 captives raise questions about the motives and goals, and are certainly a violation of international charters, added the statement.
