ICSPR Condemns International Hypocrisy and Double Standards in Addressing the Prisoners’ Issue
Date: February 16, 2025
Original Language: Arabic
Press Release
ICSPR Condemns International Hypocrisy and Double Standards in Addressing the Prisoners’ Issue
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) expresses its strong condemnation of international hypocrisy and double standards in addressing the issue of Palestinian and Israeli prisoners. On Saturday, February 8, 2025, controversy erupted in Israel and worldwide following the broadcast of televised footage showing three Israelis released by Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, as part of a prisoner exchange deal. The images depicted them in frail physical condition, sparking a wave of international outrage. Meanwhile, the crimes and violations committed by the Israeli occupation against Palestinian prisoners in its jails continue to be ignored.
The Israeli occupation continues to commit grave violations against Palestinian prisoners, including systematic starvation, which constitutes a crime against humanity under international law. Furthermore, the blockade and starvation policies imposed on the people of the Gaza Strip, which have naturally impacted the Palestinian prisoners held there, have not received the same level of attention or condemnation from the international community.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, the majority of Palestinian prisoners released through exchange deals suffer from catastrophic health conditions that require immediate hospitalization. ICSPR and other human rights organizations have documented testimonies from released prisoners revealing their exposure to systematic torture, medical crimes, starvation policies, and deliberate mistreatment and humiliation. Tragically, some released prisoners did not survive, such as martyrs Farouq Al-Khatib and Ismail Taqatqa, who succumbed to the injuries inflicted upon them during their detention, reflecting the horrific nature of the crimes committed against Palestinian prisoners.
It is worth noting that more than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners remain in Israeli prisons, not including hundreds of detainees from the Gaza Strip who face enforced disappearance. Palestinian prisoners and their families endure systematic oppression, including arrests, threats, killings, home raids, and destruction, in addition to the deliberate misinformation by Israeli authorities regarding the prisoners’ conditions.
At the same time, Israeli authorities continue to deny the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to Palestinian prisoners, except for those included in release agreements. This is a clear violation of international standards and agreements, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, which guarantees prisoners the right to receive visits and have their health conditions monitored by impartial humanitarian organizations.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) emphasizes that the double standards in addressing the issue of prisoners and the bias in favor of the Israeli occupation and its narrative undermine fundamental humanitarian principles and sacrifice them for political gains that pale in comparison to the values of justice and human rights. ICSPR strongly condemns the ongoing brutal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against prisoners and detainees in its prisons and denounces the continued silence and failure of the international community to act against these crimes and violations. Accordingly, ICSPR calls for the following:
1.ICSPR calls on the international community to urgently intervene to save the lives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, end its complicity and bias, and uphold its moral and legal obligations to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes against prisoners.
2.ICSPR urges the international community, human rights organizations, and humanitarian bodies to fulfill their moral and legal responsibilities by holding the Israeli occupation accountable and taking serious steps to end the suffering of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. It also calls for pressure on the occupation to allow prisoners to receive regular visits in accordance with international laws and standards.
End.
