Israel's prison authorities have turned the use of rubber bullets against Palestinian detainees into a "systematic punitive policy" in recent months, leaving dozens wounded, including some with life-threatening wounds, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society said.
The advocacy group said in a statement that Palestinian prisoner rights organisations have documented dozens of cases in which inmates were shot with rubber bullets inside Israeli prisons.
The actual number is likely higher due to strict restrictions on prison visits and isolation imposed by Israeli authorities, which have hampered efforts to document all violations, the group added.
Denied medical treatment
According to the group, a number of abductees suffered severe bleeding from their limbs and other sensitive parts of their bodies, while some required surgery because of the seriousness of their injuries.
The statement quoted one prisoner as saying doctors warned he could require the amputation of one of his limbs because of complications from his wounds.
Most wounded detainees continue to require specialised medical care, while Israeli prison authorities are allegedly denying them treatment.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Society said prison administrations have expanded the use of force against inmates in recent months, introducing new weapons and methods to suppress them.
It said detainees’' bodies had become "a testing ground for tools of repression and violence", particularly since Israel launched its genocide in Gaza in October 2023.
Calls for accountability
The group added that Israeli prison authorities have publicised the introduction of some of these measures through Israeli media, describing the move as evidence of a policy "aimed at intensifying abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners."
Violence within Israel's prison system has reached an "unprecedented level", with abuses extending beyond torture to include starvation, denial of medical care, prolonged solitary confinement and organised assaults as part of a policy intended to "break prisoners physically and psychologically", the rights group added.
The advocacy group also warned that the repeated use of rubber bullets has caused lasting psychological trauma in addition to physical injuries.
It renewed its call on the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international bodies to take urgent action to stop violations against Palestinian prisoners and hold Israeli officials accountable.
Around 9,500 Palestinian detainees, including women and children, are being held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions marked by starvation, torture and medical neglect, with dozens of detainees reportedly having died as a result, according to rights groups.
