Three Palestinian prisoners in Ofer prison face worsening health

Three Palestinian prisoners held in Israel's Ofer prison are suffering worsening skin infections and pain, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

The commission named the men as Kamal Fayed Hosni, Amir Daghra and Adam Abu Obeid, and said each has had scabies for a number of months.

Hosni has had scabies for more than three months, and boils have spread across his body, the commission said.

He was treated about a week ago, but his condition has not clearly improved, the commission added.

The commission also said Hosni suffers severe bone pain because he must sleep on the floor, as there are not enough mattresses.

His irritable bowel syndrome has worsened, it said, because of poor-quality food, particularly repeated servings of white bread.

Daghra has had an advanced case of scabies for more than two months, the commission said.

He received treatment twice, with capsules and ointment, and his condition improved somewhat, but he still needs to finish the prescribed course to prevent a relapse, the commission said.

Abu Obeid has had scabies for about six months, with boils spreading across his body, and the commission said the prison administration treats the scabies but refuses to treat the boils.

The commission said Abu Obeid has recently begun having nervous convulsions, and that prison authorities blamed stress after medical examinations and prescribed only sedatives.

The commission held the Israeli Prison Service fully responsible for the lives and health of prisoners at Ofer and other detention facilities.

It warned that medical and living conditions are continuing to deteriorate, that skin diseases are spreading and that effective treatment is not being provided.

Ofer is an Israeli military detention facility in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian prisoners are held, and rights groups and Palestinian bodies have repeatedly raised concerns about prisoners' health there.