The Palestinian Authority (PA) has called on Israel to take all necessary measures to protect Palestinian prisoners from the coronavirus outbreak.
“We informed Israeli authorities of the PA’s willingness to provide all the medical needs required to protect the prisoners,” Hussein al-Sheikh, member of the Fatah Central Committee, tweeted Saturday.
The PA made its appeal in wake of conflicting reports that the new virus has spread among detainees. The claims were denied by the Israel Prison Service.
Palestinian government spokesperson Ibrahim Melhem said the Israeli authorities’ actions were “suspicious”.
The Israel Prison Service had isolated some prisoners after they “came in contact with an infected officer.”
Israel’s Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan decided Friday to release some 500 prisoners and move them to house arrest in an effort to reduce the risk of a coronavirus outbreak in prisons, his office said.
The decision does not include Palestinian prisoners, but applies to Israeli residents serving time for criminal activities, and who are not considered dangerous. It also does not apply to those jailed for security or terror offenses.
Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Taysir Khaled held the Israeli government fully responsible for the life of Palestinian prisoners. He accused it of holding prisoners in inhumane conditions.
“These prisons lack the most basic health care requirements, especially for children, women, the elderly and those who suffer from serious and chronic diseases,” Khaled said in a statement.
He slammed Erdan’s decision as racist for excluding Palestinians.
Khaled called for urgent intervention by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other rights organizations in order to provide health protection for prisoners in mass detention.
