
Testimonies collected by 2 prisoners' rights organizations reveal that detainees endured inhumane treatment
Palestinians from Gaza detained in Israeli prisons faced severe mistreatment, including torture and humiliation, two rights groups said Monday.
The findings were based on accounts from prisoners visited by lawyers, according to a joint statement by the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society.
Detainees held at the notorious Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev desert in southern Israel along with those in Negev Prison in southern Israel, the Naftali Camp in northern Israel and the Anatot Camp in occupied Jerusalem described enduring various forms of torture and abuse during detention and interrogation.
Lawyers said the conditions under which 11 detainees were brought to meetings reflected the “level of humiliation they endure, particularly the continuous shackling of their limbs.”
A detainee at Sde Teiman identified as “R” described being subjected to the “disco method” where loud music blared continuously for two days. Another detainee, “M.M.,” recounted being severely beaten with rifles during his arrest, resulting in broken ribs. Three months later, he said he still suffers from chest pain.
According to him, four prisoners had to share a single small bar of soap, undergarments were changed once every two weeks, and clothing was replaced only once a month. Additionally, 55 detainees received just three pieces of tissue paper in total, an amount they said was entirely inadequate.
-Abuse at Anatot Camp
At Anatot, detainee “Y.F.” said prisoners remain blindfolded and handcuffed at all times and they are forbidden from speaking to one another.
Another detainee, “M.Y.,” described being subjected to the “disco method” for four days while blindfolded, with daily interrogations lasting three hours. He only learned his location through his lawyer, since he was kept blindfolded and handcuffed the entire time.
Prisoners at the camp are forced to remain in only two positions during the day -- either kneeling or sitting on their backsides. Guards exploit detainees' requests to use the restroom as a means of humiliation, with some prisoners being punished by prolonged forced kneeling without a mattress.
Food portions are minimal, detainees are allowed to shower only once a week, and clothing is changed just once a month. They are also prohibited from praying or performing ablution, with those caught praying while seated facing beatings.
-Starvation and disease in Negev Prison
The two Palestinian organizations said their lawyers found evidence of widespread “starvation tactics and ongoing humiliation” at Negev Prison, along with an outbreak of scabies.
The exact number of Gaza detainees in Israeli prisons remains unclear, but as of early January, Israel's prison administration reported holding 1,886 Palestinians from Gaza.
Testimonies from detainees reflected an “unprecedented level of torture, abuse, starvation, systematic medical neglect, sexual violence and the use of prisoners as human shields,” according to the statement.
Sde Teiman in particular was described as a “symbol of torture and severe medical crimes against Gaza detainees,” leading to the deaths of dozens of prisoners.
On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the treatment of released Palestinian detainees as Israeli prisoners after reports emerged that they were “handcuffed in painful positions,” according to Israel's Haaretz newspaper, which cited an unnamed security source.
The stark contrast between the condition of released Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages has drawn further scrutiny. While freed Israelis appeared in clean clothing and good health, Palestinians released from Israeli prisons spoke of starvation, beatings and psychological torture, which was reflected in their physical condition.
Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza on Oct. 27, 2023, thousands of Palestinians—including women, children, medical personnel and civil defense workers—have been detained. Only a small number have been released, many of whom showed clear signs of torture and starvation.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas which began on Jan. 19 includes a three-phase prisoner exchange process, with each phase lasting 42 days. The agreement was mediated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the US.
The second phase will involve the release of Israeli soldiers and the third phase will address the return of Israeli remains.
Israel's genocidal war has killed more than 47,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 111,600 since Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst-ever global humanitarian disasters.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.