Arab News | Scabies outbreak affects Palestinian women amid overcrowding in Israeli prison

LONDON: The health of two Palestinian women prisoners held at Damon Prison is worsening due to inadequate healthcare provided by Israeli authorities, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said on Wednesday.

The group said that Basmala Saad, 20, and Israa Huje, 31, are suffering from scabies, a parasitic skin infestation that has increased among Palestinian prisoners due to overcrowding and a lack of proper hygiene supplies since late 2023.

Saad has developed blisters and swelling in her legs after being detained last March and placed in solitary confinement in October. The commission said that she received medication without any improvement, according to the Palestine News Agency.

Huje has been detained since February and is suffering from scabies-related symptoms, including intense itching and an inability to sleep due to pain.

Their cells were subjected to repeated raids, during which tear gas and stun grenades were fired inside on Oct. 7 this year, the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack and subsequent Israeli war on Gaza in 2023.

There are 9,300 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Of those, 118 are serving life sentences, 91 are women, 350 are children and 3,101 are administrative detainees.

Israeli authorities have detained 26,000 people in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since late 2023, including 800 women and more than 2,000 children, most of whom were later released.