2 Palestinians contract coronavirus in Israeli prisons

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Two more Palestinian detainees have been infected with coronavirus in Israeli prisons in Ramallah, occupied West Bank.

In a statement Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS), a non-governmental organization, said: “The administration of the Israeli prison of Ofer – western Ramallah – announced that Naim Abu Turki, 38, has been infected with coronavirus.”

Abu Turki, arrested at his home in Hebron, has been under detention for the last four days. The PPS warned of further spread of coronavirus among the Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier in the day, the Palestinian Authority Prisoners' Affairs Commission said Mahmoud al-Ghaliz, 17, another detainee at Jalazone camp in Ramallah, has been infected with the coronavirus. Al-Ghaliz was arrested two weeks ago.

The number of Palestinians infected with coronavirus in Israeli prisons has risen to five, in addition to two detainees who were diagnosed with COVID-19 after being released.

The number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons currently stands at around 5,000, including 700 patients and 41 women.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara