Key facts
- Pregnant Palestinian detainee Baraa Abu Khdeijeh is enduring harsh conditions in Israel's Damon prison.
- Abu Khdeijeh has been detained since August 27, 2026.
- She has been denied adequate nutrition, water, and access to showering facilities.
- Pregnant detainees are reportedly not provided with food suited to their needs.
- Concerns for pregnant detainees have been amplified by the recent birth of a baby to another prisoner, Dana Joudeh, in Israeli custody.
- Another pregnant detainee, Manar Karaja, has reportedly developed scabies due to poor hygiene.
The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has reported that Baraa Abu Khdeijeh, a pregnant Palestinian detainee, is enduring severe health, humanitarian, and psychological conditions in Israel’s Damon prison. Abu Khdeijeh, 36, from Tulkarm, has been detained since August 27, 2026.
According to a report by the commission, Abu Khdeijeh was subjected to a harsh arrest, including being blindfolded and having her hands bound with plastic restraints that caused swelling. She was then taken to an undisclosed location, subjected to a strip search, and held handcuffed to a chair amidst shouting and verbal abuse.
During her detention, Abu Khdeijeh began experiencing abdominal pain and bleeding, causing her significant fear for her unborn child. She was subsequently transferred to Sharon prison for approximately five days, where conditions were described as harsh, with a dirty cell infested with insects, insufficient drinking water, a thin mattress, and a foul-smelling blanket. She was denied showers for five days and was not provided with changes of clothes or a towel.
Upon visiting Abu Khdeijeh at Damon prison, the commission's lawyer reported that she had undergone another strip search and was being held in a room designated for pregnant detainees. Abu Khdeijeh stated that pregnant detainees are not provided with adequate food suited to their needs, with three pregnant detainees in her room reportedly receiving an egg or a piece of meat only once every three to four days.
The commission also noted that detainees at Damon face shortages of clothing and cleaning supplies amid high temperatures and humidity. The commission stressed the need for specialized medical care, adequate nutrition, and humane conditions for pregnant detainees, warning of the risks posed to Abu Khdeijeh's health and that of her unborn child.
These concerns are amplified by the recent case of Dana Joudeh, 35, who gave birth to a baby girl on September 14, 2026, after spending over six months in Israeli administrative detention. Joudeh, who was three months pregnant at the time of her arrest on March 1, 2026, was reportedly denied adequate medical care throughout her pregnancy and forced to give birth in prison. The commission held Israel responsible for Joudeh and her newborn's health and safety.
Banan Abu al-Haija, a former prisoner who shared a cell with Joudeh, Amina al-Tawil, and Manar Karaja, described the dire conditions. She stated that Joudeh, who had undergone gastric bypass surgery, was denied necessary vitamins and supplements. Abu al-Haija also noted that Joudeh, al-Tawil, and Karaja were held in a small, hot room, lacked adequate nutrition for themselves and their fetuses, and received no medical treatment, not even painkillers. Visits to the medical clinic were infrequent, sometimes more than a month apart.
Karaja, 28, who is six months pregnant and a mother of two, has reportedly developed scabies due to poor hygiene and a lack of basic sanitary provisions. Her husband, Musab Zalloum, expressed fears that she might be forced to give birth in prison.