Ramallah: Palestinian journalist and former detainee Ramez Awwad has described his nearly two-year detention in Israeli custody as a deeply traumatic experience, alleging severe conditions and a lack of basic human dignity inside Israeli prisons. Awwad, who was released on August 27 after spending around two years in detention, said Palestinian prisoners continue to endure what he described as a life marked by fear, hunger and deteriorating living conditions. He referred to Israeli prisons as “graveyards for the living.”
According to a report cited by the Palestinian Information Center, Awwad said detainees face persistent fear and psychological pressure during their incarceration. He also alleged that prisoners are provided poor-quality food, leaving many struggling with constant hunger. Awwad further alleged that sanitation and hygiene conditions inside the prisons are extremely poor, creating an unhealthy environment for detainees and potentially worsening their health. He also raised serious concerns over medical treatment, claiming that sick prisoners are left in fear and, in some cases, denied adequate medical care. Describing his own experience, Awwad said the detention had been “grueling and agonizing”, and that after his release he felt like a newborn—reflecting the profound physical and psychological impact he says the experience had on him.
The allegations add to the continuing international debate over the treatment and detention of Palestinian prisoners. Rights groups and Palestinian officials have repeatedly raised concerns about detention conditions, access to medical care and the treatment of Palestinian detainees. The latest account is based on statements attributed to Awwad and reporting cited by the Palestinian Information Center; the allegations should therefore be considered in that context.
The testimony once again raises a fundamental question: Can the treatment of prisoners meet basic standards of human dignity, regardless of their political or legal status?