CrossFireArarbia

Lama Khater Speaks of Abuse, Torture, in Israeli Jails

CrossFireArabia
June 17, 2026

Palestinian prisoner and political activist Lama Khater from Hebron has revealed harrowing details about the treatment of Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons. According to her account, female prisoners are subjected to repression, beatings, strip searches, torture and abuse in what she described as profoundly inhumane conditions.

Khater spoke to her lawyer during a recent prison visit. She was arrested from her home in Hebron by Israeli soldiers in a pre-dawn raid on 23 March.

She said she was first transferred to the “Moscovia” detention centre in occupied Jerusalem, which she described as “hell”. There, female guards allegedly took her to a bathroom and brutally beat her after forcing her to undergo a full strip search.

Khater said she was then thrown into a dark and extremely cold cell. Her hijab was forcibly removed, she was verbally abused, water was poured on her mattress, and her eyeglasses were confiscated.

She added that she and other female prisoners were handcuffed and forced to lower their heads and kneel facing a wall in the prison yard. She said members of the Nahshon riot-control unit then dragged her across the yard while she remained handcuffed.

Harsh Night in Ramla

Khater said conditions in Ramla prison were no better. She was held alone in a cell under constant camera surveillance, including in the bathroom. The cell was infested with insects, and she was forced to sit on a metal bar for prolonged periods.

She described her night in Ramla as horrendous.

Khater was later transferred to Damon prison, where she said she witnessed what she called an “oppressive operation”. During inspections, all female prisoners were allegedly subjected to strip searches before being taken into the prison yard with their hands tied behind their backs. They were then forced to kneel and were dragged around the yard.

Khater said the crackdown left many women writhing in pain, and that some continue to suffer from its effects.

She told her lawyer that she is frequently punished without cause and was denied access to daily exercise for 10 days. She said prison authorities used extreme violence, stun grenades and police dogs during repressive operations.

According to Khater, female prisoners are deliberately blindfolded, handcuffed behind their backs and thrown face down onto the ground so that guards can trample on them. She added that they are also prevented from wearing shoes.

Oppression and Deprivation

Khater is currently being held in Cell No. 9 at Damon Prison alongside prisoners Amna and Ayat Sweilem, Umm al-Baraa Ayash, Salam Mansour, Nevin Abdullah, Fatina al-Sharbati, Shahd Adi, Bushra Qawariq and Naila Saradih.

Female prisoners reportedly suffer from severe overcrowding and are often forced to sleep on the floor. The situation is especially difficult for pregnant prisoners, who, according to Khater, are denied showers and have had their clothing confiscated by guards.

Khater said the women often go to bed hungry because of the meagre and poor-quality food provided. As a result, many combine their three daily meals and eat them together at sunset.

She said breakfast consists of two tablespoons of yoghurt and one tablespoon of jam. Lunch typically includes eight tablespoons of rice, chickpeas and either lentils or baila, a chickpea-based dish. Dinner consists of an egg, two tablespoons of hummus and tahini, and occasionally a small serving of soup.

Lama Abdel-Muttalib Dheeb Khater, 50, is the mother of five children. She is a political analyst and media commentator who has written on literature and politics for several newspapers and websites.

Born in Ramallah in 1976, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language from the Faculty of Arts at Hebron University. She is known for her writings in support of the Palestinian resistance.

According to recent figures published by the Palestinian Prisoners Club, there are currently 95 Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons. Among them are three girls, while 19 women are being held under administrative detention. The detainees include one child and three pregnant women.

The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has witnessed a sustained and unprecedented escalation in the targeting of women through arrest campaigns carried out by the Israeli army.

Prisoner-support organisations say that the testimonies and data they have collected point to violations against female prisoners on an unprecedented scale and with a severity not seen in previous periods.

According to testimonies gathered during lawyers’ visits, there has been an increase in beatings and the use of solitary confinement, along with sexual violations, including verbal harassment, strip searches and the imposition of degrading and physically dangerous positions that threaten the prisoners’ well-being.

This news story is based on a report in Sanad News and reprinted in both crossfirearabia.com and countercurrents.org

Culture

Ode to a Homeland

CrossFireArabia
June 17, 2026

“Ode to a Homeland” by Palestinian artist Wadei Khaled

News

The Little Ball Unites The Big Globe!

Saleem Ayoub Quna
June 17, 2026

(Caption: Huge Jordanian crowds assemble at the Roman Theater in downtown Amman on Wednesday at 7 am to watch the first Jordan-Austria football match for the World Cup that was being broadcast live from San Francisco, USA. (Courtesy photo Dr Zeidan Al Kafafi, directly taken from the Amman Citadel.)

Two prominent universal endeavors help bring people closer to each other: Music and sports. Both can be performed without the need for language. One goes to the ear and the other catches the eye!

Today, the world is watching football matches played in three countries of North America by the best 48 national teams including Jordan for the first time, in this 32nd edition of the World Cup organized by FIFA.

It is important to notice that the power and impact of the little colorful ball being kicked by 22 players for 90 minutes, split into two halves, before an enthusiastic two huge crowds, each representing one team, surpass the effects of any other activity, theory, ideology or doctrine endorsed or practiced by the human race!

All participating nations in the ongoing tournament, big or small, rich or poor, old or new, would be chanting their national anthem and waiving their own flags in a joyful atmosphere that lasts for a whole month.

Also football and “foreign threat or aggression” to the nation have equal weight and role in uniting the people of any nation under one banner; one creates harmony between community members and the other feeds on the fear of the unknown!

Within the boundaries of each participant nation, a kind of a state of emergency prevails, where some days off are observed, city centers and businesses are closed and daily life takes a different beat. Crowds also gather before titanic screens in public places to watch their national team playing.

But some cynics have a different view. They call the soccer game a total nonsense, a sheer waste of energy and a preference of foot over the brain!

Whatever our attitude towards this sports event might be, many tears of joy or regret would be shed, many hearts would be broken and many dreams would be either, fulfilled or shattered.

By the end of the month, our bigger globe will take a break for four long years, then new hopes for a win will arise again and bless humanity with precious moments of joy and celebration.

Analyses

Will The US-Iran Deal Last?

CrossFireArabia
June 17, 2026

By Ali Bakir

On June 15, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced via the US social media platform X that a peace deal between the US and Iran had been reached, following over two months of mediation by his country. Sharif expressed gratitude to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye for their significant contributions, stating that the official signing ceremony would take place on June 19 in Switzerland. Following this announcement, a memorandum of understanding was signed electronically by US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on the US side, and by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the Iranian side.

The reported agreement is characterized as a framework peace deal aimed at ending the 2026 Israel/US-Iran war and transitioning the current ceasefire into a broader diplomatic process. Although the text of the agreement has not yet been published, key reported elements include immediate cessation of military operations, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, and a 60-day negotiation period to address unresolved issues, particularly Iran’s nuclear program, alongside discussions on sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian assets during follow-up negotiations.

This agreement follows two significant developments. First, Israel conducted military strikes on Iranian targets in western and central Iran around a week ago, marking the first such actions since April. Explosions were reported in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and other cities in response to Iranian missile launches that were highly performative. Second, Trump warned that Iran would “pay the price” for what he described as slow progress in negotiations to end the conflict, indicating that the US could resume strikes against Iranian infrastructure.

5 bullet points on the agreement

Although the agreement does not necessarily mean that the root causes that prompted the war have fully disappeared, a few observations are worth mentioning and analyzing.

First, a lot of narrative spinning is occurring publicly at the moment. While the main parties are trying to sell the agreement as a victory, there are factions within the broader regional camps (such as hardliners in both Iran and Israel) that oppose it. Critics in Iran have labeled the agreement a “humiliating capitulation,” arguing that it involves unjustified concessions. Hardline opponents have publicly criticized the negotiating team, with Iranian MP Mahmoud Nabavian stating that the latest draft is “more damaging” than previous versions. Similarly, Israeli officials emphasized that Israel was not directly involved in negotiating the US–Iran deal and does not necessarily consider itself bound by its provisions. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel would not withdraw from territory seized in Lebanon and would continue to act against threats from Hezbollah and Iran if necessary.

Second, the timing of the agreement suggests that Iran was running out of options. As the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) focused on messaging and performative measures, the gap between their narrative and reality widened, with Iran’s ability to endure further pressure significantly diminishing. Trump’s counter-blockade against Iran’s restriction of the Strait of Hormuz imposed significant economic costs on Iran, leading to the decision to sign the agreement. It is estimated that the blockade could have cost Iran over $24 billion in just two months — almost equal to Iran’s reported total reserves of foreign currency — leaving the regime with little choice but to agree to the terms or face economic collapse.

Third, despite the negative reactions from hardliners in both Iran and Israel, the agreement highlights Trump’s genuine interest in reaching a resolution with Iran, especially following last year’s swift 12-day war between Israel and Iran. However, radical elements in both Iran and Israel seem intent on using procrastination, escalation, or military actions to sabotage meaningful attempts to achieve peace. Given that there is reportedly a 60-day negotiation period following the signing of the agreement, it is likely that these factions will continue to work against a comprehensive resolution.

Fourth, while Pakistan played a significant role in the mediation process, Qatar’s involvement was also crucial, as acknowledged by American, Pakistani, Saudi, and Turkish officials. Notably, neither the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman nor the ministry itself reported any independent measures taken by Qatar, apart from endorsing Pakistan’s mediation efforts. In fact, a Qatari spokesman denied any independent role in the mediation at this stage. Qatar’s involvement appears to have been executed at the request of the United States and had several dimensions.

Primarily, Qatar facilitated technical issues between the US and Iran, such as enabling the transfer of Iranian funds without direct US involvement, thereby avoiding the perception of it being a US initiative or taxpayer-funded. Additionally, Qatar played a role in establishing a communication channel between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, which emerged later in the mediation process. Finally, Qatar aligned itself with Saudi Arabia’s position, providing support for the Pakistani initiative.

Changing actors

Fifth, two awkward positions regarding the agreement can be highlighted. Firstly, the Europeans have been largely inactive in resolving the crisis yet somehow managed to host the official signing ceremony between the Americans and Iranians. Instead of crediting Pakistan, Switzerland offered to host the ceremony, which can be seen as an act of opportunism. Secondly, Oman, historically a favored mediator between the US and Iran, has been notably absent from this current arrangement. Oman’s position during this war was not popular in the Gulf Cooperation Council and beyond. According to a senior US administration official, Oman was removed from its mediation role in negotiations with Iran after the US concluded that Muscat had acted “very duplicitously” during the talks.

Finally, we must approach the prospects of the agreement with caution. It is essential to recognize that this is not a comprehensive peace agreement but rather a transitional framework. The future of the agreement will largely depend on the outcomes of negotiations in the next 60 days. Given that several factions within Iran and Israel are opposed to the agreement, we should not dismiss the possibility of sabotage, particularly from Israel.

Ali Bakir is an assistant professor of international affairs, security, and defense at Qatar University and senior nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. Anadolu

Culture