Incarceration facility (Israel)
Encyclopedia
An incarceration facility is the official name given by the Israel Defense Forces
and the Israel Prison Service
to one of several prisons in Israel
used to hold Palestinian prisoners
- either under sentence or under administrative detention
.
In addition, there are several "suspension" facilities ( Mitkan Hashhaya) run by the IDF
's Military Police Corps, subordinate to their respective regional brigades, which compliment the incarceration facilities and hold Palestinian
detainees for a short period before they are sorted and moved to an incarceration facility run by the Israel Prison Service.
. Beginning in 1988, the IDF
built and expanded several such facilities adjacent to existing infrastructures at Megiddo Prison, Camp Ktzi'ot (Nitzana
) and Camp Ofer. A small incarceration facility was also opened to the north of the Gaza Strip
, near the Erez crossing, as well as several facilities in the West Bank: Shomron, Etzion, Efraim, Menashe (Salem), Binyamin, etc.
Most of the above were closed following the Oslo Accords
, although Megiddo and Ktzi'ot Prisons continued to operate with a smaller staff. The prisons were re-opened in 2002, following the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
and Operation Defensive Shield
. In 2006 reorganization of the prison system began, during which several facilities were closed and others facilities reassigned from IDF
to Israel Prison Service (IPS) authority.
As of 2006, all three incarceration facilities are operational and are subordinate to the IPS, while the two remaining detention facilities (Shomron and Etzion) are controlled by the IDF
.
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and the Israel Prison Service
Israel Prison Service
The Israel Prison Service , commonly known in Israel by its acronym Shabas , is the prison service of Israel. It is responsible for maintaining civilian prisons in Israel, as well as detention centers for security prisoners. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security...
to one of several prisons in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
used to hold Palestinian prisoners
Palestinian prisoners
Palestinian prisoners in Israel mainly refers to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel following apprehension resulting from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict...
- either under sentence or under administrative detention
Administrative detention
Administrative detention is arrest and detention of individuals by the state without trial, usually for security reasons. A large number of countries, both democratic and undemocratic, resort to administrative detention as a means to combat terrorism, control illegal immigration, or to protect the...
.
In addition, there are several "suspension" facilities ( Mitkan Hashhaya) run by the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
's Military Police Corps, subordinate to their respective regional brigades, which compliment the incarceration facilities and hold Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
detainees for a short period before they are sorted and moved to an incarceration facility run by the Israel Prison Service.
History
The need for detention centers to hold large numbers of Palestinian detainees in Israel arose during the First IntifadaFirst Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
. Beginning in 1988, the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
built and expanded several such facilities adjacent to existing infrastructures at Megiddo Prison, Camp Ktzi'ot (Nitzana
Nitzana
Nitzana may refer to:*Nitzana , a city of the ancient Nabataeans located in the Negev desert in Israel*Nitzana , a communal settlement near the ruins of the Nabataean city...
) and Camp Ofer. A small incarceration facility was also opened to the north of the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, near the Erez crossing, as well as several facilities in the West Bank: Shomron, Etzion, Efraim, Menashe (Salem), Binyamin, etc.
Most of the above were closed following the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
, although Megiddo and Ktzi'ot Prisons continued to operate with a smaller staff. The prisons were re-opened in 2002, following the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
and Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield was a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces in 2002, during the course of the Second Intifada. It was the largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. The operation was an attempt by the Israeli army to stop the...
. In 2006 reorganization of the prison system began, during which several facilities were closed and others facilities reassigned from IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
to Israel Prison Service (IPS) authority.
As of 2006, all three incarceration facilities are operational and are subordinate to the IPS, while the two remaining detention facilities (Shomron and Etzion) are controlled by the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
Incarceration facilities
There are currently three incarceration facilities:- Ktzi'ot PrisonKtzi'ot PrisonKtzi'ot Prison is an Israeli detention facility located in the Haluza sand dunes region. It is Israel's largest detention facility in terms of land area, encompassing ....
– by far the largest facility, it is located in the Ktzi'ot area, near NitzanaNitzanaNitzana may refer to:*Nitzana , a city of the ancient Nabataeans located in the Negev desert in Israel*Nitzana , a communal settlement near the ruins of the Nabataean city...
and the border crossingNitzana Border CrossingThe Nitzana Border Crossing is an international border crossing between El Ouga, Egypt and Nitzana, Israel. Opened in 1982, the crossing used to handle pedestrians as well as private cars but most of the crossing was being done via the Taba Border Crossing in Eilat and the Rafah Border Crossing in...
with EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It can contain approximately 2,200 Palestinian prisoners, and over 3,500 during an emergency. - Megiddo Prison – the oldest such facility and the first to move to IPS control from the IDF. Megiddo Prison can contain up to 1,200 prisoners.
- Ofer PrisonOfer PrisonOfer Prison , formerly officially known as Incarceration Facility 385 , is an Israeli incarceration facility located in the West Bank, between Ramallah/Beituniya and Giv'at Ze'ev...
– the smallest of the three, it is located near RamallahRamallahRamallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
and is therefore the closest location to where most of the prisoners in question are detained. Ofer Prison can contain up to 800 prisoners.
Detention facilities
- Efraim Facility - operational from 2002 to 2006
- Etzion Facility - located in Gush EtzionGush EtzionGush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located in the Judaean Mountains directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank, Palestinian territories. The core group includes four agricultural villages that were founded in 1940-1947 on property purchased in the 1920s and 1930s, and ...
, it is operated by the Israel Defense Forces and accepts detainees mostly from the southern West Bank (BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
, HebronHebronHebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
and Yatta areas) - Menashe (Salem) Facility - operational from 2002 to 2006
- Shomron Facility - located in SamariaSamariaSamaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
, it is operated by the Israel Defense Forces and accepts detainees mainly from the northern West Bank.