Despite their heavy responsibilities in giving birth to revolutionaries, Palestinian women do not forget their duty to struggle and defend their homeland, facing either martyrdom or captivity.
According to a report by the program "The Story has a Rest" that in 1967, about 17,<> Palestinian women and girls were arrested and prisoners, as the occupation forces use this as a tool to pressure their families, or as punishment for their political or student activity, or even for suspicion while passing through the checkpoints imposed by the Israeli occupation between Palestinian cities, towns and villages, or even during visiting their children in prisons to live a bitter and harsh experience that may last years.
The report also revealed the harsh conditions and violations to which Palestinian women prisoners are subjected, which contradict the most basic principles of human rights and international laws, and reports and figures confirm the presence of dozens of Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons, including minors, mothers, and even wounded and sick women who suffer from medical negligence, which increases their suffering.
Among the painful stories, the program team met the child Mutasim, the son of prisoner Israa Taabis, who was arrested and sentenced to 11 years in prison after a fire broke out in her car near a military checkpoint. The program also presented the stories of some of the freed prisoners who endured detention several times.
Shatha Hassoun, Fatima al-Zaho and Nisreen Abu Tamim recounted the stories of violations suffered by Palestinian women when arrested, tortured during interrogations, and suffering from medical neglect, harassment and even denial of family visits during the years of captivity.
A raped childhood
In turn, Sawsan Bakir, the mother of Palestinian prisoner Marah Bakir, told the story of the detention of her daughter, who was detained at the age of 16, as her childhood was taken away and she was wounded by 14 bullets in her hand, stressing that the Israeli occupation does not differentiate between men, women and children, knowing that their determination and faith in the Palestinian cause cannot be defeated.
Sawsan considered that the experience of her daughter's arrest represents a great honor for her, as is the case for any Palestinian family, despite the feelings of sadness and pain she felt as a mother during her detention, especially since she was unable to complete her studies and normal life like other children.
Ahmad Jaradat, the husband of Palestinian prisoner Etaf Jaradat, recounted the experience of arresting his three sons and his wife, describing his life as very harsh and difficult and can only be described as dispersion, especially in light of his care for his two children and his responsibility for a Palestinian family separated by the Israeli occupation.
Sahar Francis, director of Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, said that 31 Palestinian women prisoners are languishing in Israeli prisons, 13 of whom have been sentenced, while the rest are awaiting trial.
She stressed that the Israeli occupation systematically and continuously violates international humanitarian law and human rights against prisoners from the moment of their arrest by torturing them, not providing them with a fair trial and transferring them forcibly between occupation prisons.
She expressed regret for the state of silence and the absence of accountability and prosecution of the occupying power for these crimes, and "this gives them the green light to continue their crimes."