Libel : Israel is “tormenting and killing Palestinian prisoners with the Coronavirus in a war crime” – official PA daily op-ed
Headline: “War crime – Tormenting the prisoners with the Coronavirus!”
“The Israeli racist occupation system found a new weapon in the Coronavirus, which it is using [as part of] a plan of tormenting and killing the prisoners slowly and indirectly (sic., see note below regarding PA libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners), while exploiting the world’s preoccupation with finding preventive measures and preventive treatment. The policy of medical neglect has been one of the prison authorities’ measures against the Palestinian prisoners, even after their release, and a way of getting rid of those who they succeed in reaching the weak points in their health, or by physically weakening them while imperceptibly transferring an illness to them. Regarding the Coronavirus, it has made the act of tormenting the prisoners easier for them through its symptoms that cause physical pain and have an emotional impact. This is while using the uniqueness of the illness’ spread and the virus’ quick violent assault in achieving high numbers of infected people among the detained prisoners. Since it is enough for there to be one executioner from the occupation forces who is sick with the Coronavirus in order to infect hundreds of prisoners in mere days – considering the crowded prison rooms, or the inhumane conditions in isolation and when transferring the prisoners to the hospitals – this enables the ideology of imposing terror on the prisoners and their relatives which the occupation authorities are working diligently at, and it appears that the desire of its leaders and officers is to continue committing war crimes against the prisoners and to violate the international laws and treaties under the cover of the Coronavirus epidemic.”
Libel on medical abuse of Palestinian prisoners - The PA claims that Israel abuses Palestinian prisoners through medical neglect, medical experiments, and by intentionally infecting them with diseases. However, the International Red Cross regularly visits these prisoners and has not documented or accused Israel of any of these claims. Likewise, lists of demands occasionally issued by the prisoners during hunger strikes—such as during one in 2011—include no demands relating to these claims. PMW has documented prisoners talking about how they "lack nothing" in the prisons and that "the worst thing about Israeli prison" is riding in a prison vehicle that has no padding on the seat. When PMW contacted the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2007 regarding PA claims of medical experiments on prisoners, the ministry responded: "Clinical testing on prisoners in prison was never approved, never performed, and is most certainly not taking place at present."