The birth of a child to a Palestinian detainee in an Israeli prison has intensified concerns regarding the conditions of pregnant detainees, covering aspects from arrest and interrogation to prenatal care, nutrition, and medical treatment.
Dana Jude, 35, gave birth to a girl on September 14 after spending over six months in administrative detention in Israel without charges or trial. At the time of her arrest on March 1, she was three months pregnant and was detained at her home in Irraq al-Tayeh, near Nablus.
The day after the birth, Jude and her daughter were released and transferred to a hospital in Ramallah for medical care. Her condition was not immediately clear, and her family declined to comment.
The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees held Israel responsible for the health and safety of Jude and the newborn. The Commission stated that she was denied adequate medical care throughout her pregnancy and condemned the forced childbirth in prison.
The Commission emphasized that 'allowing Jude to go through pregnancy without any medical care is a crime and a violation of international laws and conventions,' adding that 'forcing her to give birth inside the prison constitutes an additional crime.'
Jude's situation raised concerns about two other pregnant Palestinian detainees held by Israel: Manar Karadji, 28, from Ramallah, who is six months pregnant, and Baraa Abu Khadija, from Tulkarm, who is four months pregnant.
Former detainee Banan Abu Al-Khayja described the conditions faced by pregnant detainees. She spent several months in a cell designated for pregnant detainees, where she shared it with Jude, Karadji, and Amina Al-Tawil, who was later released.
Abu Al-Khayja told Middle East Eye that Jude had to face health problems during her detention. Before her arrest, Jude had undergone gastric bypass surgery and required vitamins and supplements that were not provided to her in prison.