Advocacy group warns of 'health disaster' among Palestinian captives in Israeli prison

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported the spread of contagious diseases at the notorious Megiddo Prison in northern Israel and warned of a "health disaster" there.

The advocacy group said it had documented reports from detainees of outbreaks of scabies and other contagious diseases.

Scabies is caused by mites, which burrow under the skin and lay eggs, which causes rashes, irritation and further complications.

PPS stated that most of the detainees "suffer from health problems and face difficult and tragic detention conditions".

It accused Israeli prison authorities of denying detainees "necessary resources that could help limit the spread of the disease", including nutritious food, clothing, personal hygiene items and adequate exposure to light and ventilation.

Read more: Advocacy group warns of 'health disaster' among Palestinian captives in Israeli prison