Inside Palestine, numbers tell a stark, often unspoken story. Names fade into figures, and lives lost or forever altered are tallied in a sequence that dares us to meet the truth eye to eye. Some images do this work for us, showing faces pressed into silence while eyes stay hidden behind a dirty cloth. In recent weeks, Palestinian men from Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been detained by Israeli forces. The violence behind these clips is echoed in the numbers: an aggressive arrest campaign, a climb in the count of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and long strings of people behind bars without judgment or justice. Many have spent years in confinement.
There has never been a lasting peace in Palestinian lands. The area has endured Israeli military occupation for more than half a century, a period during which arrests occurred every day, with reports of dozens being taken on average. That grim routine shifted sharply after October 7. Palestinian officials stated that the daily arrest rate in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem surged dramatically, reaching into the thousands last month. One observer described the broad strategy: Israel appears to focus on Gaza while opening no new fronts, directing its efforts toward detaining every individual who holds leadership, influence, or potential sway on the street due to presence, charisma, or political stance.
In this escalated violence, the plan to crush any resistance cell takes on new urgency when the West Bank lies within a volatile, sensitive arena alongside a dense web of settlements and settlers. The violence in Gaza has reverberated, fueling a response that keeps Israeli troops tied to mass arrest operations almost daily. Homes are stormed at dawn, and many residents—mostly young men—are taken to prisons. In recent weeks, these arrests have grown more violent.
Those documenting the crackdown cite a rise not only in detainee numbers but also in the severity of abuses. Incidents include beatings, home demolitions, and threats of murder or rape against detainees’ families. The Palestinian Prisoners Club notes thousands of cases since October 7, with the majority held without charges or trial under administrative detention. This policy allows extended incarceration without due process. In some cases, family members have been used to pressure detainees into surrender.
Attention has also turned to Gaza’s workers who held permissions to enter Israel. A significant portion found themselves stranded or detained as visas were canceled and their presence on Israeli soil persisted from the Hamas attack. Some thousands of workers were reportedly confined on military bases, subjected to severe conditions, and many describe torture or ill treatment. A number managed to return to Gaza this week and recounted the horrifying experiences there.
Two out of five Palestinian men have faced arrest at some point, and a quarter of the prisoner population includes women and children. Military orders govern many lives under occupation, directing processes that take place in military courts. Hamas’s broader activity aimed at freeing Palestinian prisoners has not yet achieved its immediate aims, and the human toll continues to rise.
Following October 7, prison life underwent noticeable shifts. Detainees report changes in daily routines, including the proliferation of electric devices, limited access to television and radio, and reduced opportunities for cooking, family visits, and other basic needs. The Palestinian Prisoners Club has documented several deaths among detainees and notes the administration of hunger strikes as one of the ongoing modes of protest. State authorities have condemned severe conditions, including broken limbs, restricted access to water and electricity, and denial of medicines. Observers point to overcrowding and the stripping of beds as part of the punitive treatment in place.
Various human rights groups have described ongoing punitive measures as a standard response. Closing sections and canteens, restricting lawyer visits, limiting food quality and quantity, closing clinics, and blocking transfers to medical care have been cited. There is concern that nighttime raids and physical punishments have intensified since October 7, reflecting a broader pattern of occupation-prisoner treatment that continues to unfold. The government moved to cut funds once designated for Gaza and Palestinian prisoners from tax revenue to support the Palestinian Authority, and new laws were introduced to ease arrest on suspicion. The overall situation presents a troubling narrative of collective consequences for Palestinian prisoners whose voices struggle to be heard in the face of a system that encroaches on daily life and freedom.