Occupied Jerusalem, Feb. 22 (SANA) – The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs in Palestine said Israeli prison authorities at Ofer Prison are systematically denying Palestinian detainees the ability to observe fasting and Iftar at their correct times during the holy month of Ramadan, describing the measures as part of a punitive policy.
The Commission said in a statement carried by Palestinian media on Sunday that prison authorities have withheld information on the timing of dawn and sunset prayers, preventing detainees from observing fasting in accordance with religious obligations and exacerbating their daily suffering.
The commission added that detainees are neither informed of prayer times nor provided with adequate conditions to perform religious duties, a practice it said constitutes a clear violation of basic human and religious rights.
In a related development, the commission said detainees held at Gilboa Prison entered Ramadan without prior notification from prison authorities, with some reportedly learning of the start of the holy month only while appearing before Israeli courts.
According to the commission, detainees are denied pre-dawn (Suhur) meals, while iftar has become a prolonged ordeal, with prisoners forced for more than two years to break their fast with insufficient food that fails to meet minimum nutritional needs.
Palestinian detainees in Israeli occupation prisons continue to face harsh humanitarian and health conditions as a result of deliberate medical neglect, restrictions on movement, shortages of medication and medical examinations, and the denial of basic rights, according to legal testimonies and rights reports, raising serious concerns over their safety and well-being.
