October 7 2023 marked a grim milestone in the nature and scale of Israel's savage assault on the prisoner movement. On this date, there was a decisive shift away from the previous phase of gradual, cumulative targeting aimed at implementing the decisions of the so-called "Gilad Erdan Committee". This body was named after the former minister of public security, strategic affairs, and information, who formed it in order to study the measures that should be taken against Palestinian prisoners in Zionist prisons.
At that time, the committee issued two reports containing several measures, foremost among them the dismantling of the political presence of the prisoners within the prison—that is, ending the existence of organised factions and collective representation of the prisoners, targeting cultural and academic programs, and revoking all achievements related to daily life.
These goals—along with plans to implement them—were already prepared and in place with the prison administration, which on October 7 unleashed and all-out war against the prisoner movement that was officially announced that same day.
The war against Palestinian prisoners
The brutal assault to follow was based on a set of policies and measures. This included a deterrence policy that is a pillar of Israel's security doctrine which was practiced against prisoners before 7 October. However, following October 7, it intensified, becoming a core component of a full-scale war against the prisoners.
It manifested through the use of extreme, unpredictable and frenzied violence against prisoners, for instance daily physical beatings where there was no differentiation between male and female prisoners, nor between children and the elderly.
These assaults resulted in thousands of prisoners being left with fractures, and a number losing their lives, like Thaer Abu Asab who died at the age of 38 from his injuries in Negev Prison after being savagely beaten.
Additionally, prison guards started raiding the prison sections and cells day and night, to maintain a permanent state of heightened fear and tension. This was accompanied by constant prisoner transfers, and the seizure of all belongings, including clothes, shoes, watches, electronic devices, TVs and radios, to ensure prisoners' cells were completely bare with no items to provide their lives with a minimum sense of normalcy and human comfort.
Furthermore, the prison administration vastly increased the number of prisoners to a cell. The doubling and tripling of people within the confined space was intended to further intensify the levels of suffering and discomfort.
These tactics were used to deter any attempt at resistance by the prisoners, and to kill any spirit of resistance that might emerge. The Israeli Prison Service's policy also sought to break the prisoners' collective status by ending the presence of the prisoner organisations, eliminating collective representation, and halting the prisoners' daily cultural programmes.
Ultimately, the most prominent and primary objectives is revenge, which has been directly stated by many prison administration officials.
Starvation
Another decision that was taken by the Israeli Prison Service since the 2023 genocide in Gaza began, was to starve prisoners by reducing the amount of food provided by approximately 80%. This step, which left prisoners relying on the extremely small amount of food provided daily, was also followed by the seizure of all food items in the cells and different prison wings.
The amount of food previously provided to a wing containing 90 prisoners would be provided to a wing containing 250 prisoners. Moreover, the food provided would be undercooked and poorly prepared without salt, spices or oil.
The policy of starvation is an attempt to destroy prisoner morale alongside their bodies, in order to curb any physical capacity to withstand or resist. The measure underscores an attempt to confine prisoners' intellectual energy to a focus on sheer survival, and narrow down their consciousness to one fully occupied with hunger. Thus, hunger – the most basic survival instinct - becomes the driving force for a prisoner's behaviour.
There has been a severe loss of weight among all prisoners as a consequence, which was visible in the emaciated and weakened state of the liberated prisoners. By comparing a photograph of any prisoner before 7 October and one following their release, one would easily notice the horrific conditions the prisoners have been subjected to, and the ferocity of the abuse pursued by Israeli prisoners.
Isolation and neglect
A series of measures have been used by Israeli prisons in order to isolate prisoners as much as possible, including halting Red Cross and family visits, restricting the ability of lawyers to see them, and removing TVs, radios, and all communication sources from prisoners' cells. This serves to completely cut prisoners off from the outside world and from any news or developments.
Prisoners' morale is consequently also undermined, and with it any thought of resistance.
The many restrictions and limitations also mean that the prison officers become the sole source of information. Of course, Palestinians know that most of what they are told is not to be trusted, but the entire purpose is to mislead and create confusion and tension among the prisoners.
In reality, this has been one of the most devastating policies employed against prisoners.
Medical negligence has also been so intensified that prisoners are dying. The provision of most medication has been halted, and any kind of serious medical follow-up, which was already very limited prior to October 7, has been further withheld.
This has led to a proliferation in agonising skin diseases, particularly scabies, in addition to respiratory issues. The sadistic instrumentalisation of medical and health conditions as a tool of torture by Israel has led to the deaths of many Palestinians.
Since October 7, the number of prisoners who have died has reached 69. Indeed, what Israel is doing to Palestinian prisoners, backed and endorsed openly by its political, judicial and security establishments, are war crimes. Prisoners' testimonies continue to lay bare the terrifying reality within the prisons right now, but we must channel our horror into action in order to stop Israel from continuing its abuse as the lives of every prisoner is dangerously under threat.
Wael El Gaube is a Palestinian former prisoner and author who spent thirty years in Israeli prisons and was active in the prisoner movement. He has published several books, including 'Letters on the Prison Experience' and 'Dreams of a Prisoner' as well as various studies, and political and academic articles.
Translated by Rose Chacko
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