Ramallah, May 24 (QNA) - The Palestinian Prisoners Club (PPC) warned on Sunday of a dangerous and rapidly spreading outbreak of skin diseases, including scabies, among Palestinian prisoners held in several Israeli occupation prisons and detention centers.

In a statement, the organization said the assessment was based on dozens of lawyer visits conducted during April and May, which revealed a severe human suffering and deliberate medical neglect inside Israeli occupation prisons.

According to testimonies documented during the visits, prisoners are facing widespread disease and are being deprived of adequate treatment and healthcare, while detention facilities have become environments conducive to the spread of illness and epidemics.

The statement noted that in overcrowded cells housing at least eight prisoners, several detainees are suffering from scabies amid a lack of basic hygiene and humane living conditions.

It added that prison authorities recently canceled several scheduled legal visits after informing lawyers that the prisoners they were due to meet were infected with scabies, describing the move as an indication of the scale of the outbreak and an attempt to conceal deteriorating health conditions inside the prisons.

The organization said many prisoners are suffering from skin ulcers and severe infections as a result of the disease and the absence of treatment. It added that some detainees are unable to sleep due to intense itching and pain, while others have experienced a serious decline in their physical condition.

The statement held Israeli occupation prison authorities responsible for policies that have contributed to the spread of disease, including the denial of hygiene supplies, severe overcrowding, poor ventilation, and restrictions on exposure to sunlight.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club further stated that prison conditions since the start of the war in Gaza have contributed to the deaths of 89 prisoners and detainees whose identities have been officially announced. It noted diseases, including scabies, were among the factors linked to several of those deaths amid continued medical neglect. (QNA)