Israeli forces assault Palestinian jailed leader and other detainees

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club has confirmed to al-Araby al-Jadeed the assault on the detained Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmed Saadat and dozens of Palestinians detained in Nafha.

Amani Sarahna, media officer at the club, said, "we have received confirmations from multiple sources indicating the occupation forces have assaulted Saadat and detainees at Nafha, but we do not know the size of the assault yet".

She continued, "a lawyer from the Prisoners’ Club will be visiting Saadat in the next couple of days, in light of the extreme tensions among the prisoners held in Nafha and Ramon prisons amid a major crackdown there".

Sumud Saadat, daughter of the PFLP leader, said the family is aware of the assault on her father. She told al-Araby al-Jadeed that "so far, we do not know the extent of the assault and its repercussions. The occupation did not allow a lawyer to visit him".

On Tuesday morning, the Prisoners’ Club said the IPS intervention forces known as Metzada assaulted Saadat at Nafha prison. In its statement, the club said the prisoners affiliated to the PFLP in Israeli jails have threatened to retaliate against the attack on Saadat.

For his part, the head of the Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Commission Issaq Qaraqe held the Israeli government responsible for the assault on Ahmed Saadat and other detainees in Nafha, whom he said are routinely repressed, deprived of their needs, tormented, and assaulted in various ways under the orders of the Israeli government and the Shin Bet.

Qaraqe called on Israel to immediately halt these actions, which he said further complicate the situation where prisons could rebel at any moment. Qaraqe said the situation in the Ramon prison also remains very tense, especially after 70 prisoners were forcibly transferred to Ofer prison.

Qaraqe added that when prisoners refused to leave, their cells were raided by Metzada forces, which assaulted the prisoners and removed them by force.

More than one thousand prison police officers raided the prison, cramming detainees in narrow holding cells. Fatah-affiliated detainees went on strike and refused to leave to the yards to allow the prison administration to search their cells.

The Metzada used tear gas and frag grenades in addition to physical assault and forcible removal against prisoners in Nafha. Dozens of prisoners were taken to Ramon and Ofer, in an attempt by the IPS to end the riot in the two prisons, which hold prisoners with long sentences from various Palestinian factions.