Starved and Tortured to Death: Palestinian Activist Tells Al-Estiklal of Detainees’ Ordeal After October 7

Amjad al-Najjar, the spokesperson for the non-governmental Palestinian Prisoners Club, rejected the Palestinian Authority’s decision to stop paying salaries to some families of detainees held in Israeli Occupation jails.

In an interview with Al-Estiklal, al-Najjar said the delay in payments might be due to the Ministry of Finance, as the list approved for disbursement included all names and was sent to the ministry for final approval.

In May 2025, an unprecedented decision led to the suspension of salaries for 1,612 detainees and former detainees, after the Ministry of Finance refused to forward their salary lists to the postal service for payment, despite the official Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees confirming it had sent the complete lists.

This move is widely viewed as the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas yielding to Israeli pressure to stop financially supporting those it labels as “terrorists.” In exchange, “Israel” has withheld Palestinian tax revenues and redirected portions of them to Israeli families who claim to have lost relatives in alleged Palestinian attacks.

The move came two months after Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa announced that salaries would now be based on families’ financial need, rather than the length of imprisonment, which had been the previous standard.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Economic Empowerment Institution, which was authorized by a presidential decree to handle payments for detainees, the wounded, and martyrs, began sending out social survey forms to families — a move that sparked outrage among institutions and families who rejected it.

Al-Najjar added that “Israel” is increasing its cruelty, humiliation, and revenge against detainees, citing specific cases and documented figures.

He also described new detention camps established by “Israel” after October 7, 2023, where detainees are treated with extreme brutality and stripped of their humanity in ways “no living being can bear.”

The interview also addressed the situation of female detainees, especially in light of their needs and the harsh measures used against them, and shed light on a systematic torture campaign targeting imprisoned leaders.

Amjad al-Najjar, 51, is a Palestinian political activist and founding member of the Palestinian Prisoners Club. He has been repeatedly arrested and pursued by the Israeli Occupation and was placed under house arrest.

During the First Intifada, he formed an armed group and carried out resistance operations against the Israeli Occupation. In 1991, an Israeli court sentenced him to 20 years in prison, of which he served five before being released following the Oslo Peace Accords.

The Reality of Prisons and Detainees

After nearly twenty months of the genocidal war on Gaza, how would you describe the current situation of detainees in Israeli jails?

Honestly, we are living in one of the bloodiest times for Palestinian detainees. There are around 10,100 detainees, including 37 Palestinian women held in Damon Prison, who are subjected to near-daily abuse.

There are also 450 child detainees, held across Ofer and Megiddo prisons, as well as in other detention centers throughout the West Bank.

After October 7, the Israeli Occupation enforced a criminal ‘emergency detention law’ that includes over 37 military orders.

These include policies such as denying medical care and refusing to release the bodies of detainees who die in detention. All of this violates international agreements, particularly the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions.

Since October 7, prison conditions have worsened significantly. Everything related to daily life has been stripped away. Detainees now live with nothing but an iron bed.

Some prisons don’t even have mattresses or blankets. All their clothes were taken. Each detainee is left with just one set of underwear and must remain naked while it dries after washing.

All basic items have been confiscated—no towels, no plates, nothing to eat with.

As for food, the situation is tragic. Detainees are facing full-scale starvation, and this is done deliberately by the Israeli Occupation.

The message to detainees is clear: you must starve. If your body is weak, you’ll die. If you survive, you’ll remain sick and humiliated. And all this is happening in plain view of the world.

Recently, five detainees died from hunger alone. I’m not talking about other causes of death—only those who starved to death.

Since October 7, a total of 70 detainees have died in Israeli custody, including some in Sde Teiman camp, which some compare to Guantanamo. But in reality, it's far worse.

At Guantanamo, nine prisoners died over twenty years. Here, we’re talking about 70 deaths in just 18 months. Families are often not informed for weeks—or even months—after a detainee has died.

Some reports mention inhumane treatment in new detention camps set up by the Israeli Occupation. What do you know about them?

The Israeli Occupation has adopted sexual assault and rape as tools of revenge against the Palestinian people inside prisons, especially in Sde Teiman, which was opened after October 7.

More recently, they opened a new underground camp inside Ramla Prison called Rakefet. There, they detain what they call “unlawful combatants” or “elite prisoners,” placing them in conditions no human—or any living being—could endure.

Lawyers have reported horrifying things. In Rakefet, detainees are kept completely naked for days on end. Before they’re allowed to get dressed, dogs are set on them to bite and terrify them.

There are now detainees who have died, and their bodies are being held under the excuse of using them in potential prisoner swap deals.

The Israeli Occupation has also created special units, overseen by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, that are tasked with taking the level of torture so far that detainees are pushed into despair and lose the will to live.

We receive all this information, yet the world remains silent. Some detainees inside Israeli jails are now wishing for death because of the unbearable torture.

Targeting the Leaders

There have been reports of a systematic campaign of torture against detainee leaders. What’s the latest on this?

Recently, the prison authorities launched a targeted campaign against well-known leaders of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

Among them are Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Abdullah Barghouti, Ibrahim Hamed, and many other prominent national figures. They have been placed in solitary confinement.

These leaders are subjected to systematic abuse, tortured up to eight times a day on a fixed schedule. The torture only stops when their bodies begin to bleed. Their lives are now in serious danger, and we hold the Israeli Occupation fully responsible for their safety.

We are working with a large network of lawyers, using every legal and human rights channel available to demand an end to solitary confinement and torture.

Most of these leaders are in their 50s and 60s and suffer from various illnesses, all while being subjected to deliberate starvation.

The impact is clearly visible on those who have been released, marked by severe physical weakness and illness.

How does the Israeli Occupation handle prisoner handovers or swap deals with the Resistance?

When a prisoner exchange deal is reached with the Palestinian side, whether with Hamas or other factions, the Israeli Occupation follows a complex and restrictive process filled with delays and intentional obstacles.

First, negotiations are always indirect, conducted through mediators, which complicates the process for all parties.

Second, the Israeli Occupation sets harsh preconditions—often excluding detainees with long sentences, those from Occupied Jerusalem or the 1948 territories, or demanding forced displacement after release.

Before any exchange is carried out, each detainee undergoes an extensive internal security review, which causes further unnecessary delay.

The Israeli government also uses political and media pressure, working to shape public opinion and reduce what it considers “the cost of the deal.”

Then there are legal appeals. Israel’s Supreme Court allows families of killed Israelis to file objections to the release of detainees, which can postpone the process even further.

On the day of the exchange, the Israeli Occupation often carries out last-minute delays, well-known to everyone involved.

Sometimes, the release is split into phases rather than happening all at once. This tactic is used to apply pressure on the other party or gain leverage over the families of released detainees.

Israel also imposes tight restrictions on Palestinian media coverage of these exchanges. But perhaps the most severe violation is the re-arrest of freed detainees.

The Israeli Occupation often rearrests those who were released, citing alleged violations of the deal or new security claims, just as it did after the famous Gilad Shalit exchange.

Suspension of Detainees’ Salaries

What about the recent decision by the Palestinian Authority to withhold financial allowances from the families of some detainees?

I refer here to a statement made by the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, which I fully agree with. He said: “Upholding the dignity of our detainees and the rights of their families is a fundamental principle that the PLO has pursued as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”

This principle has been firmly established over decades, based on a clear vision to protect the families of those who sacrificed for the freedom of their people and homeland.

In line with this approach, despite all the challenges and shifts we’ve faced, we, as an organization directly concerned with this issue, reject any decision that undermines the rights of detainees or their families.

We have received numerous calls informing us that the salaries of some current and former detainees have been suspended. However, we have not received any official notice confirming such a decision.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club is closely coordinating with the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and other relevant authorities. From our perspective, any action that infringes on detainees’ rights or their families’ entitlements is categorically unacceptable.

This is a matter of principle, and we will not tolerate it under any circumstances. So far, no official directive has been issued in this regard. These allowances are issued by the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, not directly by the Ministry of Finance.

The head of the Commission also stated that he is following up on the case of 1,612 detainees whose salaries were not disbursed, although their names were included in the payroll list submitted to the Ministry of Finance.

This suggests that the decision to withhold payments came from the Ministry of Finance, though the situation remains unclear.

You may refer to additional statements by the head of the Commission. This matter falls under their jurisdiction, and they have publicly expressed their rejection of the decision.

He stated that “security agencies instructed the halt of payments for 1,612 detainees, and the government does not want to engage with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”

This may be the underlying motive behind the decision. To quote him directly: “The rights of detainees are guaranteed by law. We have contacted several parties, but it’s clear that this is a political crisis.”

He also said: “If the government does not want to pay salaries to any faction that does not belong to or recognize the PLO, it should state that clearly and publicly.”

Some have spoken of a form that the families of detainees are now required to fill out to determine whether they qualify for the stipend. What do you say?

The Prisoners Club has explicitly and unequivocally rejected this procedure. That is all I can say on the matter at this time.

Female and Gaza Detainees

Has there been any update on how the Israeli authorities are treating sick detainees, especially following the recent deaths among them?

Around 1,000 sick detainees languish in Israeli jails—many battling chronic illnesses like heart disease, kidney failure, and cancer. Among them, 36 cancer patients are left without proper care, their lives hanging by a thread.

There are no specialized doctors to oversee their cases, and even the medications administered to them are medically unverified.

Female detainees are facing especially brutal conditions in Damon Prison. What more can you tell us about what they’re going through?

The conditions for female detainees in Damon Prison are particularly dire. The Israeli Occupation no longer distinguishes between men and women. In fact, some women suffer even more because of their gender, due to their physical makeup and different endurance levels.

All extra clothing has been confiscated, leaving each detainee with only one outfit to wear. The prison administration also refuses to allow in or provide essential personal items for the female detainees.

Lawyers and other sources have informed us that some female detainees are being shackled to their beds as a form of punishment.

There are two pregnant detainees in Damon Prison, and neither is receiving appropriate medical attention. No gynecologist or doctor is assigned to follow up on their conditions. One of the women is in a critical state, along with her unborn child.

In every sense of the word, Damon Prison represents a humanitarian disaster for female detainees.

There are growing concerns about the lack of information regarding those detained after October 7, especially from Gaza and refugee camps. What do you say?

Naturally, it is very difficult to obtain any information about detainees from Gaza.

The little we do know indicates that they are being subjected to systematic torture, and they are being denied even basic legal rights.

Lawyers and some individuals from Gaza are trying to provide us with updates, but the information remains extremely limited.

This lack of transparency is intentional. The Israeli Occupation has effectively given its soldiers a free hand to deal with detainees without legal oversight.

What about administrative detention, which appears to have expanded significantly since October 7?

For the first time, the number of administrative detention orders has reached approximately 13,000, including renewals and extensions. The common accusation is simply that the individual poses a “security threat” to “the State of Israel.”

This reflects the broader pattern of Israel’s disregard for Palestinian rights. It is the Israeli intelligence officer who essentially decides the charge, and this is deeply troubling.