Palestinian prisoners' institutions - namely the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, and the Commission of Detainees' Affairs - have sent an urgent appeal to the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling on the organization to intervene immediately in response to the continued deterioration of the health conditions of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons, foremost among them the escalating spread of scabies, including among children.
The institutions stressed that scabies continues to spread widely in a number of prisons and detention centers amid the ongoing inhumane policies and measures imposed by the prison system, which have directly led to worsening the health crisis and turning it into a serious threat affecting thousands of prisoners and detainees.
The institutions noted that they have previously contacted the World Health Organization in April 2025 regarding the spread of the disease among prisoners. However, the information and testimonies they have documented over the past period show that health conditions have only deteriorated further and that the disease continues to spread in the absence of any genuine measures to curb its transmission or provide the necessary treatment to those infected.
Testimonies of released prisoners, lawyers' accounts, and documentation by relevant institutions confirm that infected prisoners suffer from severe itching, skin inflammations, persistent pain, and sleep deprivation, in addition to the psychological and physical consequences resulting from the continuation of the disease and the denial of treatment and necessary healthcare. They also warned that child prisoners are likewise subjected to these harsh conditions, exacerbating the health risks they face.
The institutions emphasized that the spread of the disease is directly linked to the harsh detention conditions imposed by the prison administration as one manifestation of the structure of torture and ongoing genocidal policies. These conditions include severe overcrowding in prison sections and cells, systematic deprivation of basic hygienic materials, restrictions on bathing, deteriorating health and environmental conditions, refusal to isolate infected individuals, and the continued systematic denial of medical treatment.
The prison system's persistence in maintaining the conditions and causes that facilitate the spread of diseases among prisoners, particularly scabies, constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights standards. It reflects a dangerous level of deliberate neglect that threatens prisoners' lives, health, and human dignity.
The institutions called on the World Health Organization to take urgent action and practical steps, including:
1. Publicly acknowledge the outbreak of scabies and other communicable diseases among Palestinian prisoners and monitor their outbreak.
2. Demand immediate access for independent medical teams to enter Israeli detention facilities to assess health conditions therein;
3. Call upon Israeli authorities to ensure the prompt provision of appropriate and immediate medical treatment for all infected prisoners;
4. Demand the provision of adequate hygiene supplies, appropriate sanitation facilities, clean clothing, and regular access to showers;
5. Advocate for measures to reduce overcrowding and prevent further transmission of infectious diseases;
6. Ensure special protection and urgent medical care for detained children and other vulnerable prisoners;
7. Coordinate with relevant United Nations mechanisms and international bodies to address the ongoing public health crisis affecting Palestinian detainees;
8. Publish findings and recommendations regarding prison health conditions in a manner that ensures transparency and accountability.
The institutions affirmed that the continued spread of scabies among Palestinian political prisoners, and the denial of treatment and healthcare, constitute an urgent humanitarian and public health issue requiring immediate international intervention. They hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the lives and safety of the prisoners and renewed their call on the international community and relevant UN organizations to take immediate action to put an end to the severe ongoing crimes and violations against Palestinian prisoners.