The crimes in Ofer Camp. Crímenes en Campo Ofer. ENG ESP

ENGLISH

Ofer Camp is located adjacent to Ofer Prison on land linked to Beitunia village, west of Ramallah. The Ofer area encompasses a military court, a detention center, and a central prison operated by the Israel Prison Service (IPS). Established after October 7 to detain Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, the camp marks a significant shift, as prior to this date, Palestinians were not held there. Unlike Ofer Prison, this facility is under the management of the Israeli military and operates outside the regulations governing standard Israeli prisons.

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"I endured torment to reach you. I collapsed on the ground twice. They took us out [from the detention facility] at dawn for the visit but made us wait in a cage, blindfolded and restrained," recounted prisoner J. R. regarding the ordeal of lawyer visits.

Several months into the genocide, the Israeli occupation authorities implemented further punitive actions when they permitted certain prisoners to consult with lawyers. A batch of prisoners is transported out, with hands and feet shackled, during the early morning
period, specifically between 6 and 7 a.m. Subsequently, they are moved outside the prison sections to an area adjacent to the visiting room, where they are confined in a cage and compelled to lie on their stomachs for extended periods, sometimes lasting up to seven hours, under the harsh sun. This treatment is classified as cruel and inhumane, violating the Convention against Torture (CAT).
"The situation is challenging during the visit, as we are required to lie face down the entire time while waiting, with our hands shackled behind us and our eyes covered," remarked prisoner A. Sh.

"They transfer us from the [detention] area to a confined space where we lie on our stomachs. We are not allowed to converse with one another. Then, they bring us in one at a time," described prisoner M. W.
The punitive actions extend beyond what has been mentioned. During this period, prisoners are
restricted from having breakfast and, in some instances, even lunch, and they are denied access to sanitary facilities throughout the waiting duration. If a visit coincides with the scheduled yard time, prisoners are excluded from that as well. All these situations signify an unwarranted violation of the fundamental rights provided to prisoners under international standards for treatment. For several months, prisoners were not permitted outside to the yard. This situation escalated with additional punitive measures implemented after October 7. After a few months, prisoners were allowed brief yard access, limited to half an hour at most. While in the yard, guards keep prisoners shackled and refuse to remove their restraints. They are also compelled to walk with their heads down, and in many instances, yard time is entirely denied; this results in prisoners being confined to their cells for 24 hours straight.

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), USA, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today responded to a report published by Addameer on the Ofer Camp, an Israeli detention facility where Palestinian detainees were reportedly tortured and starved.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“The reported starvation, denial of basic hygiene and physical torture to which the far-right Israeli government has subjected Palestinian detainees is further proof of its brutality and genocidal intent. We call on the Trump administration to hold the Israeli government accountable and end its support for Israel’s ongoing crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. We also urge the international community to prosecute the war criminals involved in the torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners.”