Harrowing accounts of torture, abuse, and rape inside Israeli prisons

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jul 2024 13:11
6 Shares

The head of the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has warned that "Israel" is conducting a retaliatory "war of revenge" against Palestinian detainees in its prisons and detention camps.

Listen

Israeli occupation forces transferring abducted Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, on November 21, 2023 (AFP)

*Caution: This article includes graphic and disturbing details of Israeli torture"

The head of the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs accused "Israel" of conducting an abusive "war of revenge" against Palestinian detainees since October 7.

"Israel has been waging a war of revenge against prisoners within the walls of prisons and detention centers since the first day of the decision to go to war against Gaza," said the head of the Commission Qadura Fares.

At a press conference in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Fares stated that Palestinian detainees were being treated as "hostages" and that the abuse was intended as part of the overall "pressure".

The commission's lawyer, Khaled Mahagna, condemned the reported abuses, which he learned about during his visit to detained Gaza journalists Mohammed Arab and Tariq Abed at the Ofer detention center near Ramallah.

Disturbing abuses

Mahagna recounted a disturbing account in which Israeli guards forced a detainee to lie naked on his stomach then inserted a fire extinguisher tube into his buttocks and activated the extinguisher.

He reported that other inmates had been subjected to "electric prods" being used on their bodies.

Palestinian lawyer Khaled Mahagna recounts shocking testimonies from Palestinian detainees stating that Israeli soldiers have raped Palestinian prisoners to death in detention.

Israel has kidnapped more than 9,500 Palestinians since the beginning of its genocide in Gaza,… pic.twitter.com/0RmjpcSXqD
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 15, 2024

In response to international and local condemnations, some Israeli human rights organizations are pushing for a court order to shut down Sde Teiman, a military installation in southern occupied Palestine. They argue that the severe violations of detainees' rights render imprisonment at the facility "unconstitutional and untenable."

The detention camp has gained notoriety as a site likened to a "New Guantanamo", where the Israeli army engages in the torture and killing of Palestinian civilians of all ages, including children, who have been abducted from various areas of the Gaza Strip since the onset of the war on October 7.

Furthermore, the lawyer reported that Palestinian detainees were handcuffed during meals, which typically included just 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of bread or tomatoes along with some milk.

Mahagna cited journalist Arab’s account of witnessing a handcuffed detainee dying after being beaten for requesting medical attention. He mentioned that around 100 detainees had illnesses and injuries requiring urgent care. Additionally, Mahagna affirmed that some detainees had their hands bound before being attacked by dogs.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, approximately 9,600 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons and detention camps, including hundreds under administrative detention, which permits the military to detain individuals for extended periods without formal charges or court appearances.